Faerie III: A Demon's Angel
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: The final book. The end of my story which I tell to you now. I have been weak in the past, I have been useless but that all changes now. I refuse to become a burden to my friends, I shall protect them and I shall keep them safe from all dangers. Whether our enemies be wizards, demons, gods, dragons...or even the Devil himself.
1. Chapter 1

**So I am continuing on from the last chapter in the previous instalment, I'm not going to bore you guys by saying something at the start of each chapter and because you have all been amazing and patient, I'm going to post this story all in one go!**

 **If you come across any mistakes or I do something stupid like accidentally post the same chapter twice, please let me know so I can fix it.**

 **Also if you think improvements can be made, please tell me your thoughts too! I'm expecting to make adjustments to the story some time in the future, improving things and whatnot, but for now I'm just going to be quiet and let you all read. Enjoy!**

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The master decided that Fairy Tail was going to enter the Grand Magic Games, in order to put our guild back on the top and claim a thirty million jewel reward. Everyone agreed that it was important that they train hard in order to be in with a shot of winning, however I elected stay home and look after guild whilst everyone was gone as I didn't need to do much training personally.

Though it quickly transpired that I was needed when I got a call through lacrima crystal from Jet and Droy, yelling at me with worry to tell me that Levy and the others had disappeared to the Celestial Spirit World and they'd been gone for three days. "For goodness' sake, can't I take my eyes off you kids for even one moment?!" Just as I spoke I stopped, blinking at myself. Since when did I view the others as kids? Well, I was now seven years older than all of them I suppose.

I journeyed to the beach resort that the guys had gone to for training, carrying nothing with me, not even my katana blades. Because of the heat I changed my outfit slightly, opting for shorts and a halter top underneath my sleeveless jacket with the hood. The moment I got to the beach, however, I was set upon by Jet and Droy. "You've gotta do something Fae! Can you fly to the Spirit World or something? Levy might be in trouble!"

"Calm down you too, there's nothing to worry about. Just tell me exactly what happened." I instructed them calmly, however it soon became clear that calm was the last thing on their mind.

"But Levy's gone missing! We can't go on without her, we only just got her back!" They both yelled up at the sky with tears streaming down their faces as my eyebrow twitched in irritation until finally I gave up and slammed their heads together.

"Just shut it, both of you! They'll be fine so long as they have each other!" I yelled at them before relaxing. "They'll be back I promise. Those guys will always come home no matter how long it takes. Hell, we've already waited seven years for them when everyone else assumed us dead, what's a few more days?"

"Actually sweetheart, you're coming to join us." I gave a loud shriek, throwing my hands up into the air as Loke's scent enveloped me, one arm slipping around my waist as his hand gripped mine.

"Loke!" As a golden light enveloped us both I felt a rushing sensation, his smile making me blush heavily as with a flash, I was standing in an entirely new world which made my jaw drop. I stared at the sparkling sky, little lights floating all around me with the picturesque view of planets floated across my vision. "What…where…where are we?"

"You're in the spirit world!" Lucy's voice said to me brightly and I turned around to see everyone safe and sound…at a _party_?!

"Wait, you mean to tell me you guys have been here partying all this time? I WAS WORRIED SICK! I GET A CALL FROM JET AND DROY TELLING ME YOU'D ALL BEEN CARRIED OFF TO THE SPIRIT REALM TO COMBAT DISASTER AND YOU'RE ALL HERE CASUALLY DRINKING COCKTAILS?!" I yelled at them all, making them all bow their heads and shrink under my voice as I glowered down on them. "I am _extremely_ disappointed in all of you, especially you Erza. I expected more from you guys. You could have at least dropped a note or a message to tell us where you were, running off into the sunset without warning is incredibly immature." I paced back and forth, continuing my lecture until suddenly I stopped and looked around.

Only then did I see the other spirits all smiling and waving at me cutely, unfazed by my lecture and as I slowly looked up, I came face to face with the celestial Spirit King himself. "Ooh…my apologies." I blushed deeply, bowing apologetically.

"Peace, there is no need to apologise. Come and join our feast! We are celebrating the return of our dear friends, so join my table and make yourself comfortable." He invited so I bowed politely again then walked towards an open seat, still blushing nervously as I looked around, however Levy quickly took my hand.

"Fae, you have to check out the library here, there are so many books!" She gushed and instantly my interest peaked. She and I spent our time combing through the books, speed reading with our wind glasses until we were drunk on words and they started to spin off the page.

"Hey! Come dance with us Fae!" Natsu yelled and grabbed my hand, making me yell in protest before he started to violently swing me around in a dance, his manic laugh making me panic for my own safety as he burped out flames and I was forced to duck until someone came to my rescue.

"If I may, I'd like a turn with the lady." Loke said charmingly, smiling as he took my hand then proceeded to elegantly spin me around into his arms, leading me in a waltz as Lyra's song began to fill the air, the melody and Loke's eyes stealing my breath away as I became completely lost in their depths, numb to the world except the warmth of his fingers. I'd almost forgotten how beautiful they'd become. "I have to say Fae, you've grown into quite the magnificent woman, that body makes my heart jump in my throat."

"Don't say such things Loke…" I blushed, looking away with embarrassment but I couldn't help but feel thrilled at such a compliment. Does this mean he finds me attractive? No stop it Fae, you should outgrow this silly childish crush. Before I could open my mouth to speak again, the music stopped and Loke looked up, giving a grin.

"Well, it's good to see you again Fae!" He said cheerfully before pulling back and let go of my hand, leaving it held out towards him as he turned away and approached Aries, giving her a gentle bow then took her hand to lead her into the next dance as I stared. A heavy pressure began to crush my chest as I watched them closely. His hand rested on the small of her back but pulled her close, tucking her other hand close to his face as he brushed a finger against her cheek, eyes filled with an unbound warmth, unguarded and unreserved just for her as she gazed back at him in a similar fashion. They were so close…so wrapped up in one another…what? What is this?

I touched my cheek to find a stray tear there as a cold knife of ice lodged itself deep in my chest. Was this…my first heartbreak? It was bound to happen. I knew it would. I'd read about it in books and romance stories but nothing could ever have prepared me for this crushing feeling. I feel so weak and feeble, like my knees are going to buckle at any moment and the floodgates will open unless I did something to stop them.

Quickly I looked around, searching for someone, anyone. "Virgo. Take me back." I pleaded with her forcefully, pressing my eyes closed as my shoulders trembled and my fists turned white the tighter I clenched them.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked obliviously but I quickly shook my head, desperate to escape.

"Just take me back! Please, get me out of here!" I tried to keep as quiet as I could in order to keep others from overhearing. "Return me. Now!"

"As you wish." She bowed politely before the rushing light appeared around us both and she carried me back to my own world where finally I felt like I could breathe, sucking in a deep breath. It was night time and the beach was deserted as I fell to my knees, tilting my head upwards towards the sky which seemed painfully void and cold tonight. "You do not seem well, should I fetch someone for you?" Virgo offered but I shook my head once more as I gripped my head in both hands, struggling against the wracking tears which were still threatening to spill.

"No, I'm sorry for getting angry with you, you were amazing. Thank you." I apologised to her. "I'm fine, just please leave me alone." Virgo just gave me a strange look, her density not understanding why I was sobbing on my knees before she answered.

"Okay." Then she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving me completely alone. I was soon cold, shivering from the breeze so I picked myself up, taking deep and shaky breaths before I started to head towards the resort. When I looked at the clock I was surprised to find that several hours had passed since I'd left, however when Jet and Droy found me, they told me that it had been over a week since I'd disappeared.

"What happened? Loke just appeared and carried you off!"

"Everyone's okay, they're just celebrating their return with the spirits. It was a surprise feast for Lucy that they were brought to." I murmured darkly, keeping my face hidden from them as I stood. "There's no need for you to worry."

"Oh...okay. If you're sure." Droy said before Jet frowned at me.

"Did something happen? You seem a little off."

"I'm fine, just tired. Astral travel is challenging for someone who isn't used to it." I explained before beginning to walk off. "I'm going to the girls' room. Call if you need something." I left them gaping behind me, unable to face them just yet as I clutched my chest, still feeling the breaking of the pieces within me as I found the room the girls were all sharing before going to the hot spring bath, resting myself in the water in an attempt to comfort myself.

Loke and Aries. I should have guessed when Lucy told me their story all those years ago. Of course they would be close and of course Loke would have special feelings for her. Besides, I should have prepared better for this, I knew that we could never be, considering the fact he was immortal. I'd managed to separate those feelings in those seven years, managing to bury them far down inside me, however when everyone returned, those feelings blossomed open again like a lotus flower.

Shaking my head I decided to cry through it, remembering that the girls in my books all did the same thing; that they more or less all followed a step by step pattern to move through the stages of heartbreak and set themselves on the long road onto healing.

Step one. Cry. I cried a lot, not loudly like some dramatic floozy but quietly, allowing the water to soak up my tears until I felt hollow.

Step two. Eat comfort food. I ordered almost half a tonne of ice cream, selecting all of my personal favourites before working through them tub after tub, making sure to lick the carton clean before starting the next one.

Step three. Sit in silence. The silence was the worst part because in the calm quiet my mind screamed louder, echoing in the caverns of my own mind as I remembered every single interaction Loke and I had together, from the very beginning up until now. It was painful, remembering how close we used to be and just how much he cared.

Step four. Be angry. I threw pillows across the room, shouting in frustration and even kicked over one of the beds trying to release all my pent up rage in as controlled a way as possible, not wanting to have to pay for damages.

Step five. Fix anything broken. I went about the room, righting everything I'd thrown or quietly fixed something I'd accidentally broken like the table leg. The past seven years had taught me to be fairly handy if nothing else, considering the disrepair of our guild at the moment.

Step six. Acceptance. For a long time I've been able to accept that Loke would never be mine, I'll just have to throw myself into these Grand Magic Games as a means of distraction. I hadn't intended to participate beforehand, however I think this would be the perfect opportunity to distract myself from what I was feeling internally. I'd only entered the games that one time before announcing I wouldn't go back as too much attention was a bad idea for my undercover work. With this in mind, I decided to go for a walk.

The air was still pretty chilly so I pulled on a proper coat, borrowing one of Lucy's which she'd left behind then stepped back out onto the beach, walking through the surf before heading towards one of the cliffs where I'd be able to listen to the song of the ocean, its crashing waves sending gentle vibrations up the cliff to my feet.

The horizon was misty and the sky was still clouded, the only light available coming from those of the resort and the lamplights dotted down the path leading up to the cliff. This place reminded me of the cliff where I'd placed my mother's memorial. I'd gone to visit it regularly during the seven year gap of Fairy Tail's downfall, however I always made sure that no matter what job I was doing, I was back for that one day that had had the most important impact on my life. Every year I returned on the anniversary of her death.

I kept no secrets from the guild, they all knew who I was and where I'd come from. This time, however, I was not surprised by their understanding. I knew they all would, I knew they loved me like family and they had told me repeatedly that they didn't care about who I was in the past or who I was forced to be, because it was the person that stood before them they cared about.

A smile touched my lips and I felt a little better, closing my eyes to take a deep breath before slowly I reached up with both hands and unclasped the necklace around my neck. "Thank you Loke, for everything." I whispered as I dropped the chain into one hand, looking at the pair of angel wings and the sign of Leo as they gleamed with a flash along with the rotation of the lighthouse on one of the cliffs further out to sea, its brightness shining upon the metal as I cupped the gift in my hand. "But I'm free now, there's no need for you to watch over me anymore." Cupping my hands to my chest I embraced the necklace one last time, feeling its warmth as it began to glow.

Holding out my hands I watched as the necklace began to break away into golden flecks which were quickly snatched away by the wind, returning to the spirit world into Loke's possession as I made completed the final step. Step Seven. Closure. As the last of the necklace disappeared the golden specks spiralled like fireflies out over the ocean before winking out one by one, disappearing completely and I lowered my hands to my sides, standing as the breeze lifted my hair around me.

"Hm." I hummed a quiet laugh, closing my eyes into the smile as I took a final breath then leaned back into the wind, absorbing the sounds and smells of the ocean as I felt the crushing of my chest slowly begin to ease.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning after my return from the spirit world I left the resort, returning back to the guild however on my way I became suddenly aware of three powerful magical energies approaching me so I stopped, my white coat fluttering in the breeze as I waited for them to find me.

Sure enough three cloaked figures approached me, their faces hidden but I only had to sniff the air to recognise one of them. "Ultear." I growled, lowering my stance however when they stopped and pulled back their hoods, I blinked at their smiles in confusion.

"Please, we are not your enemies anymore. We mean you no harm." Ultear assured us, touching her chest and bowing her head to me.

"You are the one Erza calls Fae, correct?" The middle man questioned and I looked at him, sniffing the air inconspicuously as I took in his blue hair and the deep maroon marking over his right eye. I knew exactly who he was just from the description. I didn't need an introduction, Erza had told me all about him.

"You are Jellal." I answered and he nodded his head. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in prison."

"We broke him out a while ago." Ultear informed me with a tiny chuckle of amusement as the pretty pink haired girl glanced her way with a smile.

"Well _we_ would have, but you insisted that _I_ stay well clear of the prison in case we got caught, remember?" She said with a teasing tone before turning to me. "Hello! My name is Meldy, it's nice to meet you." She greeted and I blinked again.

"Uh…hey…"

"Please, it's not safe to speak here. Would you be willing to follow us?" Jellal asked invitingly, stepping backwards and pulled up his hood, his two companions doing the same before they turned and began to walk away. I didn't sense any evil intent and I know Erza trusts Jellal now that the influence of Zeref had left him. Though last time I met Ultear, she did try to kill me.

"Let's hope you won't regret this." I muttered to myself before pulling my hood up also and followed after them, keeping a cautious distance between us. They led me further into the woods where we wouldn't be interrupted, the trio turning and removing their hoods once more.

"Thank you, we appreciate your understanding." Jellal said to me in his warm voice. "We understand that you have every right to suspect us."

"But we're not criminals anymore. Or at least, we're not the bad guys." Meldy told me with a smile and I nodded my head once.

"I suspected as much. When you two disappeared from Tenrou Island, I wondered what became of you." I admitted, referring to Meldy and Ultear. "Though admittedly I never came across you, Meldy, your scent is faintly familiar, I must have sensed it on Ultear back then. Additionally, I know it was you who restored the tree and returned our power to us. Arc of Time." I remembered and Ultear dipped her head.

"You are correct. It was the least I could do in beginning to atone for my sins." I arched an eyebrow.

"Misguided ideals and misinformed beliefs are not crimes. Believe me, I should know. If the world knew only the first of my crimes, I would be branded a wanted criminal the same as you." Their eyes suddenly widened as I lifted a hand to my heart, closing my eyes to listen to the rhythm of theirs in their chests, a smile touching my lips. "I can hear your heartbeats, they are so attuned to one another. I feel you are all experiencing a great change, seeking brighter futures together." I looked at them once more, feeling extremely wise and mature in that moment. I must have suddenly grown up somewhere in those seven years without me even realising it. "Tell me, why are you here?"

"To make amends." Jellal informed me, relaxing his shoulders and smiling warmly to me in a friendly manner. "We have begun an independent guild called Crime Sorciere which we have dedicated to the battling against the darkness, whatever form it may take. Ultear insisted that we sought you ought."

"I feel that I have not yet done enough to atone for what I did to you that time. I gravely injured you in my own blindness. I hope you can forgive me, I just apologise for not seeking you sooner, I will admit I did not know how you would react…"

"All is forgiven and forgotten." I assured them. "I let go of my past a long time ago and everything that overshadowed me with it, including past transgressions."

"But still, allow me to make peace with myself. There is something I wish to offer you." Ultear said as she stepped forwards, stretching out a hand. "Using my Arc of Time magic, I am able to open the gate to the magical power you will attain in the future. This is called…"

"The Second Origin, yes I know it. I have studied magic intensely these past seven years in order to have a deeper understanding of its fundamental working." I explained to her and she blinked before her smile returned, impressed with my knowledge. "But there is no need, I already have access to my Second Origin." Her eyes widened and everyone gasped as they looked at my completely serious expression. "I unlocked it two years ago through intense meditation and training from a book I had studied on its properties."

"I see…then…is there anything else I can offer you in replacement?" She asked and I fixed my eyes on her. The honest answer was no, I did not want to receive anything from her for a past deed that I had forgiven, it felt wrong somehow, however by looking into her eyes I could tell that it was not for my benefit that I would have to accept, but for hers.

"Well…is it possible for you to transfer a single magic spell?" I questioned and she frowned slightly but nodded as I blushed. "Um…you know how much trouble my guild gets into, let alone how much Natsu is renowned for destroying things. With your permission, I would be eternally grateful if you would teach me how to use a Restore spell that I could fix things that my guild might break, then maybe the Magic Council won't get so angry with us so often." My blush deepened as I slowly looked up at Ultear who was looking at me strangely before suddenly letting out a laugh.

"Is that all you desire? Consider it done, it is a small favour you ask so don't look so bashful." She teased my lightly, reaching out and placing my hand on my shoulder and her eyes flashed, changing to a deep orange with a strange symbol at the centre and warmth flooded to the place where she touched my skin, giving me one smile. "There, you now have access to the Arc of Time Restore spell. I will warn you, do not try to over exert yourself too soon. Build up your stamina for such a demanding spell and do not attempt any other time magic, this is the only one you have been granted."

"I understand, thank you very much." I bowed to her gratefully before we smiled at one another. It felt so strange, the last time we met we were prepared to kill one another in order to reach our goal, fighting over the unconscious body of Zeref. "All of you, please take care and do not get captured again. I think with people like you out here in the world working to achieve peace is a time much better spent then rotting away in a prison. At least this way you can erase your past mistakes one by one." I beamed at them all.

"We are grateful for your kindness, you too must take care of yourself." Jellal informed me. "We shall linger here a while longer and wait until we have found Erza and the others. To my understanding they are currently in the spirit world."

"That's right. I don't know how long they will be, time flows differently there, I think. It moves much slower." Jellal nodded his head in thanks before moving off, leading the way and Meldy followed next, giving me a smile and a wave, leaving me alone with Ultear.

"Farewell. I pray we meet again." She said finally, inclining her head so I smiled at her, lifting my hand to wave.

"I hope so too. Be careful out there."

"You also, good luck in the Grand Magic Games. I shall be cheering for you." Ultear told me kindly before she too followed after Meldy and Jellal. I stood there for a while, blinking after them before I looked down at my hands, wondering if I felt any different. Strangely the answer was no, so I turned and continued my way home, looking at my hands a moment longer before my eyes dropped to my guild mark, proudly situated on my arm so I lifted it up to rest against the brilliant blue sky, smiling as it filled me with a warm pride.

"We're going to win those games. This year…it's our victory."


	3. Chapter 3

The others didn't come home until five days before the games were to begin, time moving very differently in the spirit world than it does in the human world. They were all astounded to find they'd missed out on three months training, though regardless the master chose Erza, Wendy, Lucy, Natsu and Gray for the first team.

What he didn't tell them was that there would be a Fairy Tail Team B. He requested that I join that team alongside Mirajane, Laxus, Gajeel and Juvia. The five of us together made a formidable team, though we were sworn to secrecy by the master and we were also promised a reward of being able to order around the losing team if one of our teams won. It was all about the competition now, not just with the other guilds but our own team members also. I knew Gajeel and Laxus were especially keen on the idea.

I journeyed to Crocus with the others, entering the city and took a deep breath, the city feeling familiar and I remembered the last time I was here. This time it'll be different, Fairy Tail will win one way or another. They may as well put it down in the record book now. We all agreed to meet up at the hotel we'd been placed at later as the others wanted to take a walk around the city first, so I agreed it would be a good idea.

It was perfectly peaceful, the aroma of flowers filling the air as I calmly walked the streets, enjoying the market stalls and the smell of freshly baked bread as I passed the bakery, making me smile warmly as the sun started to set. I lifted my arms and stretched leisurely, giving a relaxed yawn. It's so calm around here, it's almost surreal to me since these days life was just so chaotic. I quite like the quiet every now and then.

At least I did until I heard a commotion going on in a square with Natsu's voice shouting above all the rest. "You scum! Those were your parents!"

Well there goes my peace and quiet. Quickly I jumped up into the sky, manipulating the gravity with some gravity magic I'd learned to peer over the crowds that surrounded Natsu, Lucy and Happy as well as two other wizards of intense power with a bunch more guys knocked out on the ground. This is not good. "I'll teach you what it means to be a real dragon slayer!" He roared and balled a fist, the flames igniting and the blond haired wizard smirked darkly, balling his own fist in answer however as they both gave a yell I dropped down to the floor and held out my hands, catching both fists in my palms.

" _Enough_!" With the emphasis on the last syllable I sent them both flying backwards with a push of intense force, standing tall as I shot a glare at Natsu. "You know better than to go picking fights with other guilds Natsu, control yourself!"

"But you didn't hear what they did!" Lucy argued with a look of shock still etched onto her face. "They killed their own dragons!"

"That's right and I'm gonna make them pay!" Natsu snarled however as he barrelled forwards I stepped in front of the two strangers and spread my arms, daring Natsu to go straight through me. His yell cut short and he stopped, his flaming fist barely a hair's breadth away from my nose as I remained unflinching. Natsu was breathing heavily in anger but he pulled back, exercising some restraint.

"Lucy, Happy, get Natsu back to your rooms. Don't let him out of your sight." I requested gently but firmly and they both nodded to me in agreement.

"Aye sir." Happy saluted and Natsu shot one last glare over my shoulder before he turned and allowed Lucy to lead him away with Happy. I exhaled slowly, allowing my arms to drop gradually to my side before I turned around, facing the two dragon slayers as they looked at me with a mixture of shock and curiosity.

"Everyone else, you may leave." I suddenly announced, turning my head to the side and the crowds all jumped at my barking tone. "Get out of here before I decide to let Natsu come back and finish you all off for appetisers." There was a mass scramble and I folded my arms in satisfaction, eyes now locked on the two men before me.

One was blond as I said before but the other was dark haired with maroon eyes which were staring at me widely before they quickly looked away, feigning disinterest. "That dragon slayer got told off by a complete sissy, goes to show how stupid he is." One of the exceeds snickered behind a paw as the other one, an adorable looking cat in a pink frog suit nodded his head.

"Yeah, he's stupid."

"You got something to say to me, cat?" I demanded darkly, making them both jolt and shiver as I glared down at them, my luminous golden eyes turning blood red as I fixed my glare on them. "If so then you had better say it to my face."

"Hey back off, that's my exceed you're talking to." The blond one growled and I noticed the scar on his eyebrow. "If you keep trash talking like that then I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson in respect. Don't you know who we are?" He demanded and I gave a soft snort.

"Frankly no and furthermore, I don't care." The blond youth stuttered at my short answer as I met his eyes levelly. "So long as you keep out of Fairy Tail business and don't antagonise its members, we'll all get along. After all, you don't want to make me angry, otherwise dragon slayers or not, _I'll_ introduce you to a world of pain that you can't even imagine." I spoke as I began to walk forwards, making them both blink in surprise and they retreated step by step as the wind began to rise and swirl around me, eyes still bright red in the moonlight. "So you better start watching where you step, because I won't allow anyone to get in the way of my guild when it comes to its reputation or the safety of my friends."

"That lowlife guild's reputation was ruined from the start." The dark haired one spoke. Big mistake. With a thrust of my hand I slammed it against his chest and he went flying backwards with a yell, crashing into the ground several feet away as the other turned and stared in horror.

"Rogue no!"

"You want some too?" I offered, taking a step back to angle myself towards him and his head whipped around to face me, jaw clenched in anger as the frog suited exceed ran over to his master with worry in his panicked voice.

"No way, she totally just took down Rogue with one hit!" The other cat gasped in shock as I stood there waiting.

"You're gonna pay for that one. When the games roll around, I'm going to make sure you and I end up fighting and then you'll regret that action." The other snarled at me but I only flicked out a hand.

"You don't scare me, you two are just a pair of airheads with egos too heavy to carry. If it's alright with you, I'll be going now as it's nearly curfew. You'd best run back to your guild rooms like good little boys and behave yourself, otherwise you might be punished in a manner far worse than a simple slip of my hand." I advised with a smirk, stopping at the exit to the square, turning back with a smile still on my face. "And I'll look forward to that battle. We'll see if you've got any brains to go with that brawn of yours, or at least, the little that you do have."

"Hey get back here, we're not finished!"

"Let it go Sting, it didn't even hurt." Rogue said as he got up, brushing himself off. "Though I think that's because she didn't want it to. I feel as if she was holding back even with that one push." He murmured thoughtfully.

"Holding back or not, no one disrespects a member of Sabertooth like that! You hear me?! You're gonna get what's coming to you!" Sting yelled after me but I only lifted a hand and waved at them in response, making them both pull back in confusion as I returned to my own rooms which I was sharing with Mirajane and the others. It was kind of weird sharing a room with Laxus and Gajeel. I hope they don't snore.

The qualifying challenge ended up starting bang on midnight, much to everyone's surprise. We ran through the maze as a team, taking down anyone who got in our way however my mind became a little distracted as I just couldn't stop my head from reeling. Those two were definitely strong wizards as I could sense their magic power, but they were dragon slayers? I had sensed a form of shadow magic from Rogue and although it should have terrified me, I was glad to find that I hadn't been afraid in the slightest. This guild really has made me stronger. I just hope I can now return the favour and give everything I've got to this tournament.

Fairy Tail _will_ be the top guild again, I'd bet my life on it.


	4. Chapter 4

Outside the roar of the crowd boomed, making me lift my head as I listened. The crowd was so loud out there, there had to be thousands of them, a full stadium. I'll admit, I was slightly nervous. So many people watching me, I remember the last time I was here and the same nerves affected me then. I didn't particularly want people watching me fight. What if my clothes rip in an embarrassing place or I trip over? My hair was practically in a complete disarray due to my frantic fiddling. "You need to calm down Fae, it's really not that scary, I'll be right here beside you." Mira told me sweetly as she pulled back my hair into a ponytail, combing it until it lay silky smooth and flat against my head. "So there's no reason to be frightened."

"You're right." I nodded my head with a gulp. "But tell that to the thousands of people out there who hate our guts. Can I go home? Cana can still take my place as reserve, right?" I questioned but Mira only chuckled and grabbed my hand as our turn to appear out in the stadium came. Just before we appeared I took a deep breath to calm myself, settling the nerves inside me until they were made from steel. My clothes fluttered as I took the first step into the light, the white coat hiding my face with a black cloth tied like a neck scarf around my neck pulled up over my face to hide the lower part so that no one would recognise me. With recent events in mind, I wanted to hide my identity as much as possible just in case I was recognised by someone who might then relate my whereabouts back to my father. I still had to hide a little longer from him.

Anyway, it went without saying that the crowds were shocked to find that Fairy Tail had two teams participating, however I think Natsu was a little offended by the fact that a second team had been installed into the games and made his complaints known loud and clear.

The last team to appear was Sabertooth and as they came parading out into the open I glanced over at Natsu, seeing his expression darken further. Confetti was scattered down into the stadium as the cheering of the crowd reached an all time high, screaming for their favourites as they came strutting forward. I hate those jerks already.

"Well what do you know, it's the sissy, looks like you made it after all." Sting said to me as he walked over with a cocky shrug of his hands, reaching out and draped a finger across my face as he began to circle around me. He must have recognised the intense glare in my eyes. "Remember our agreement, little girl, you're going to pay for what you did to Rogue."

"I'm touched that you care so much for your friend, seeing as it's apparent he's incapable of defending himself." I answered smoothly, flicking his hand away from my face, grateful that my mask protected me from his slimy hands. "I feel sorry that Sabertooth is stuck with such incompetent fools such as yourselves." Gajeel gave a bark of laughter and Laxus smirked behind me as Sting took a step back, smirking down at me with his arms folded across his chest.

"You say that now but when the battling round comes, I hope you'll watch closely. We'll show you how real wizards fight these days seeing you're seven years out of sync." He answered and I lifted my head, eyes blazing like twin suns straight at him and he backtracked slightly as I gave off a burst of magical energy that I couldn't quite control until I had calmed myself down.

"Not all of us were trapped in the time lapse, you know. I have dedicated myself to training hard and I am now resolved to bring back Fairy Tail's honour, even at the ultimate cost." Spinning around I pointed my finger at him. "Even if it means I must bring the entire wrath of the heavens crashing down upon our enemies, I will do so without regret!" I yelled before thrusting my hand into the air, pointing my forefinger directly into the sky and the others all cheered with me, copying my stance and the crowd actually gave a small cheer for us before I turned around and purposefully kept my back turned to them, refusing to look at them again as the rules were explained and the participants for the first round chosen between us.

I was glad to hide away again once Juvia had been chosen to go in for the game of hidden, basically a massive scale hide and seek contest where the participants had to catch the others whilst remaining hidden themselves. Maybe I should have opted to go in, I could have easily sensed the other participants around the other false dummies and evaded attacks at a moment's notice with my speed. Oh well, Juvia's already lost us one point, can't get much worse than that.

I should have kept my mouth shut.

The game was over quickly but it soon became apparent that Fairy Tail had many more enemies than I first anticipated. "Raven Tail and Sabertooth seem to have a personal vendetta against us, particularly Raven Tail. Does anyone want to explain?" I questioned, turning around to look at everyone else in the team.

"I've been wondering the same thing." Gajeel agreed and Mira gave a sigh so I looked to her for the explanation.

"The master of Raven Tail is Makarov's own son, Ivan." My jaw went slack as I stared at her. "They obviously want to prove their strength, however the easiest way to show that is to prove how weak we are. Ivan has never forgiven his father for expelling him from the guild and now it seems he's returned to seek his revenge." Mira said to me.

"Wait, if Ivan is the master's son, then that means…" I looked towards Laxus who had his arms folded across his chest, a dark look in his eye as his lips curled slightly.

"Yeah so what? I don't care what my old man does, so long as he doesn't mess with Fairy Tail." He growled at my look and I quickly looked away, shrinking away into the shadows where I hugged my waist. This was trouble. With both Raven Tail and Sabertooth against us getting to the top was going to prove a whole lot harder.

At the end of the game I was disappointed that our team had only gotten one point and our other group got nothing but I was confident there was still time to pull it all together. The battle round was next and I was happy to watch Lucy battle against a woman called Flare, one of Raven Tail's members. She did so well at first, managing to call out two spirits both at the same time and she continued on a high streak until something went wrong.

From what I could hear between the two of them, Flare was threatening to kill Asuka. I had bellowed in rage and tried to warn the others, even going as far to try and leap into the fight and pummel her myself but both Laxus and Gajeel restrained me as I yelled furiously, rage burning in my eyes and I felt a spike of darkness surge within me. No, not her again! Not after all this time!

 _Did you miss me? You pathetic little fairy, of course I'm not gone. I'm still here, I'll always be right here. You can't keep me locked away forever, one day I'll break free and then you'll be sorry._

Get yourself under control Fae, this is not how you're meant to represent the guild, stay strong and focus. Channel your emotions, let them fill you with strength. As I went still Laxus and Gajeel slowly let me go, hovering close beside me as I opened my eyes, red tinging the outline of my irises. "You good?" Gajeel questioned and I lowered my head slightly, clenching my fists at my side.

"No. I'm _angry_." I answered as Natsu saved Asuka from the sneak attack, burning Flare's hair before it could touch our little treasure and Lucy instantly began her comeback with a powerful spell. The spell of the stars. It was incredible to see and I smiled softly, watching as she used Gemini to amplify her power but at the last minute I sensed a dynamical shift in power and Lucy's attack became null and void, the magic disappearing completely as if it had vanished into thin air. Raven Tail! Those damn creeps and cheats, I'll bury them all alive!

My rage pounded in my chest with each heartbeat and I could only stand there uselessly as Lucy fell to the ground, losing the match. This was not fair, how could the judges not see that this was all fixed? Lucy's attack should have knocked out that freaky girl without question but she wasn't even touched!

I hardly noticed the rest of the fights, still locked in my own inner anger however I did come around long enough to see the wizard from Sabertooth knock out his opponent with one hit with black lightning. He hadn't even used much strength, as if flicking away an annoying fly. I'll have to keep my guard up if I do come to face with one of them, because they meant business.

When our turn came around for the last match, I almost didn't realise that my name had been called out on the loudspeaker until Mira gave me a gentle nudge. "Are you ready for this?" She asked me tenderly, touching my shoulder so I took a deep breath and nodded my head, leaving our sheltered and safe viewing box to step out into the open as my opponent was then announced. Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale.

I lifted my head as I met him at the centre of the stadium, feeling the wind pick up slightly before it settled once more. I knew this man was powerful, being one of the ten wizard saints, could I really beat him? I'm a little younger than he is and don't have the same amount of experience, however I knew one thing for certain. I can't just give in! I have to do this, for Gray, for Juvia and definitely for Lucy! Fairy Tail is counting on me right now and I am _not_ about to let them all down, not when they've done so much for me. I owe it to them.

"Personally I would like to see Fairy Tail do well in this competition but I'm afraid the old hag would throw a fit if I let you win." He said to me as I stood there, desperately trying to calm the hammering of my heart in my chest as the crowds all stared at me. "My sincerest apologies but I won't be holding back, even if you are a girl." The crowd oohed at the jab, my eyes narrowing sharply but I did not respond.

"Well folks not much is known about our mysterious female competitor here, not even her name has been revealed! With all this mystery I can't even begin to assess whether or not this is a good matchup or not, can she handle a wizard saint? Probably not." The announcer spoke and I felt my anger spike once more. How dare he underestimate me?! The little jerk. Maybe I should bring him down here and teach him a lesson!

"Boo! You suck!"

"Get out of here! No one wants you!"

"You're weak, good for nothing! Just go home you loser!"

"Jura's gonna eat you for breakfast!"

 _"You're nothing more than a cowardly rat."_

 _"You'll never make it in this world, it's gonna eat you up and spit you back out like the reject you are."_

 _"Useless! Can't you do anything right you little brat?"_

 _"I wish you'd never been born. You can't even defend yourself! You're no more use to us or our family than a drowned fish in a barrel."_

 _"You're no daughter of mine."_

The words continued to roll in my mind as I listened to the crowds continue their insults and demand that I reveal my face however I closed my eyes and blocked them out. All the noise and the faces, all the memories I pushed away. All that remained was myself and Jura, the punk I was about to bring a whole lot of hurt to.

"You can do it big sis!" Romeo's voice hollered and I lifted my head towards my friends, smiling beneath my mask as it kept me comforted and safe. "We're all rooting for you, let's show everyone the true power of Fairy Tail!"

"AYE!" A collective cheer rose from my family and I gave a small chuckle before turning to face Jura, keeping myself standing perfectly still as I found myself naturally calming down. This was no big deal, I've had worse. As the gong rang, there was a moment of pause and everyone held their breath. I didn't make a move and neither did Jura who smirked at me, taking up my challenge before thrusting out his hands.

A large rock fist erupted from the ground and shot straight towards me, making everyone cheer in awe as it came crashing with tremendous power straight at my face. I was almost insulted, hardly any power had gone into this attack. He obviously thought to take me out with a single hit. The jackass.

Sliding a foot backwards slightly I balled a fist and punched straight forwards calmly, pounding it straight into the rock and it shattered right in front of me, crumbling into pebbles and the cracks rode back up the arm all the way back to Jura who widened his eyes in shock as I remained standing in the exact same place. Silence deafened the entire stadium and I couldn't help but smirk proudly. Looks like all that training has paid off, I've never felt as powerful as I do now, in fact, I bet my power could rival even his.

Jura's face hardened and with a grunt, sent several podiums of rock straight for me and I looked up, watching for a moment before leaping up into the air to avoid the first one as it crashed down into the ground where I had been standing then landed on the next one that came at me, using it to race away as they snaked after me, the rock bending and moving at an incredible pace, forcing me to climb higher and higher until finally I sprung up into the air and twisted, drawing my swords as everyone gaped openly.

With a slash of one blade I cut through the rock as it powered towards me, shattered to pieces and I began to descend, slashing each blade at any rock podium before I landed on one and began to slide down, angling my feet to keep myself balance whilst my eyes then locked on Jura. He's strong, exactly what I'd expect from a wizard saint. His eyes betrayed his irritation and he collapsed the structure I was sliding down, leaving me with open air and I turned a summersault to then land on my feet easily. "You are not what I expected, I apologise for underestimating you. In fact, I am fairly certain I could guess your identity." Jura said to me and I inclined my head to him gratefully before darting forwards.

I ran straight at him before disappearing from sight, causing the crowd to gasp as I then reappeared mid flip over his head, arcing my body to then bring my foot crashing down on him and he cried out from the strike, falling to his knees before forming a protective cave around him as I turned to punch a fist forwards with a yell, the katana it had held being thrown into the air and my fist broke directly through the rock all the way until I connected with a softer body, another cry coming from within as the structure crumbled around him.

Twisting my body once more I delivered another strike as Jura whirled around straight to his chest, sending him flying backwards. As he did so I opened my hand and caught the katana I had thrown upwards, calmly holding them both in my steady grip once more. "Incredible! This young woman is holding her own against one of the ten wizard saints and, to our knowledge, she hasn't even used magic as of yet!" Planting my foot on the ground I tilted my head to the side slightly, waiting for Jura to recover himself and get back up.

"What you waiting for? Don't let him get back up!" Natsu yelled but I ignored him. I'm sorry Natsu, but that's not my style. I have to exercise some degree of restraint otherwise the fight would just be boring. Jura brought himself up to his full height, drawing in a deep breath through his nose to focus his energy before thrusting out a flat hand and the ground tore up around me, creating a wall of rock around me before it slammed together and I only just had time to fling out my hand to create a shield around me, blocking the attack.

As the dust cleared and the rocks fell away I stood perfectly unharmed, my eyes narrowing further in focus as I glanced towards the time. Maybe I should think about wrapping this up, after all, I am in a time limit here. Having withstood the force of the attack I sprang forwards and began to dart in and out of attacks as Jura continued to attack with all his might and I could sense his magical energy slowly beginning to deplete.

All at once he gave a yell, taking on a wide stand and as I stood still a magic circle appeared at my feet, making me look down as I felt the ground began to tremble and quake whilst his body glowed with a golden aura. No way, this was intense power! I was almost so impressed by its sheer strength that I almost forgot that I was being attacked. "Focus Fae, GET OUT OF THERE!" Natsu was yelling so I quickly widened my stance, dragging my elbows deep against me and my body began to glow as I activated my absorption magic, closing my eyes as I readied myself for the blast.

"Rumbling Fuji!" It came like an eruption from a volcano with just as much power, sending me flying straight up into the air with an ear splitting scream before I sucked it in and dealt with it, gritting my teeth as the bright blue light blared around me noisily, making me flinch away from it as I absorbed the magical energy from the attack straight into my body, something that didn't go unnoticed by the commentator as the light sunk back into the ground and I continued my ascent having been tossed forcibly up into the sky.

"Amazing! The competitor has used an absorption spell to take all the energy from the attack whilst withstanding it herself! Get ready folks, because this is going to be a blast!" Suddenly my necktie fluttered from my face and I broke concentration, staring as it floated up into the air away from me as my hood dropped back also and instantly everyone gasped as my features were revealed to the entire world. Damn it, now I'll never get a moment of peace. "It's Faerie of Fairy Tail! The wizard who carried her team to second place all by herself has returned to the games! Ready yourselves everyone, we cannot expect anything less than a spectacular show with this woman in the ring!" I blushed at his words as Jura stared at me open mouthed before smirking knowingly as I recovered and turned my hands down to him, making him stop once more.

A circle of magic appeared before my hands and the same channel of bright light instantly blasted down straight at him even as he formed a protective stature around him, however with the power now doubled, it stripped back the rock piece by piece until finally it struck Jura himself, causing him to bellow from the strain his own attack put him under.

The last of the attack ended as I still continued to fall, the air rushing around me and I knew that if I landed like this I was going to break much more than just an ankle, so I flung out my hands and focused my magic. "Take Over! Regular Form." My voice called calmly and everyone gasped as I shifted into my winged form, flapping my wings as several gasps rippled through the crowds and I touched the ground again, calmly looking to see Jura struggling to sit up. "Do you yield?"

"Never!" He grunted, wincing from the pain before bringing himself up to his feet. I smirked, upper lip tilting.

"Good." I powered forwards without another word, form shifting to my new and improved Sword and Shield form, the spear appearing in one hand however I balled my fists and punched upwards as Jura attacked with a strike to my back but my wings folded and protected me, easily holding off the blow as I then landed my own and he was sent flying backwards, his feet scraping over the ground to retain balance.

"Yeah!" Natsu and the others cheered as I gave a flap of my wings, bringing myself back away from Jura as he coughed and spluttered.

"Excellent, I haven't felt so energised in years!" He suddenly grinned, turning towards me. "You are indeed a worthy opponent." I bowed my head gratefully but said nothing more. We flung ourselves into the battle, giving it all our willpower in order to overcome the other. With his powerful attacks I had no choice but to defend mostly until I could get up close, as any long range attack was deflected. My power from afar wasn't good enough, I had to be close unless I wanted to use an even more powerful form, but I was saving those for later.

As the minutes ticked by we started to run out of time, so I sucked in a deep breath then pounded my fists together. "Take Over, Volcanic Priestess." I announced, transforming before everyone's eyes once again into my most terrifying looking form. "Lava Explosion!" The ground erupted in a chain of eruptions, forcing Jura to dodge back however just as he landed, the next link in the chain erupted around him and caught him in the attack, forcing him to take on full damage as he had no time to shield himself.

I burst through the flames, eyes gleaming viciously and the last thing that Jura saw before a final Magma Bullet Punch ended the match, sending him flying across the stadium as I then expelled the magical field, returning to normal.

When I touched my feet to the ground I walked towards my fallen necktie, picking up the black fabric then tied it around my neck to keep it from feeling bare, my fingers lingering briefly out of habit to seek the necklace that was no longer there. Giving a sigh I then turned and approached Jura who lay motionless on the ground, the entire stadium silent as I slid down the small crater his body had created then knelt at his side, turning his face slowly to face upwards then waited.

The referee called him defeated and me the victor however I ignored the crowds as they screamed, remaining crouched at Jura's side as he finally stirred and flinched, gritting his teeth and his eyes slid towards me so I gave him a gentle smile once they were focused. "Thank you for a great battle. You pushed me to my limits and taught me valuable lessons." I told him honestly. "I've never needed to move so fast in all my life, you certainly deserve your title as a wizard saint."

"No, thank _you_. You taught me a valuable lesson to not underestimate any wizard I meet. I should not have judged you based on your guild name and appearance." I arched an eyebrow slightly but let it slide, instead taking an arm and pulled it around my neck to help him stand to his feet. The crowd seemed to go wild for my kind gesture and screamed the place down as I helped Jura stagger back to his own guild where Lyon was waiting.

"Thank you, it is good to see that chivalry and good sportsmanship is not dead." He said as Jura went off with some other guild members to be treated for his injuries.

"It was an honour to fight one of your own once again." I answered before giving a respectful bow. Wanting to get out of there as fast as possible I turned and powered forwards, disappearing in a blink of an eye and reappearing before my own guild's designated waiting area where I walked inside then slumped against the wall, finally collapsing with deep breaths as I allowed the strain my body had just undergone to show itself.

"Fae! You were so wonderful! I'm very proud of you." Mira beamed as she raced towards me with Juvia following behind.

"Such power, I did not quite realise you had such strength in you until recently. You are a very worthy opponent, you should be proud of your performance today, you succeeded where I failed." Juvia said in a resigned tone, making me smile at her warmly as I got to my feet and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"It's only the first day Juvia, I shouldn't worry about it, you were just getting warmed up. Hm?" I beamed at her. "I was just lucky today, that's all."

"You hardly bat an eyelid, you looked indestructible out there!" Mira claimed as I let my head roll back against the wall once I'd sat down again, Juvia helping me to sit with an arm over her shoulder as I had staggered slightly, feeling weak at knees as the nerves suddenly hit me again. I closed my eyes to rest a little as Mira and Juvia both touched my shoulders carefully, waiting for me to recover.

"I had to look strong for the guild's sake. The more powerful we appear individually, the less others will doubt our strength. I just hope I did the others proud, that's all I wanted. To make our struggles to get here worthwhile." I sighed and Mira nodded her head reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you brought the guild great pride today. You've bumped up our score and that means we're already on our way to the top. Now come on, let's get you some proper rest somewhere nice and quiet, you've earned it." Mira smiled at me so she and Juvia helped me stand and walk away from the braying crowds of the stadium.


	5. Chapter 5

After a good night's rest I returned to the stadium the next day to watch the second day of events. I have to say, I did enjoy watching Sabertooth come last in the first round, though Natsu and Gajeel hardly did any better due to their motion sickness and the moving chariots they had to race over. Sting didn't look to impressed however I got a good kick out of it all.

What seriously impressed me was Elfman and his battle against Bacchus, a guy who became more powerful the more he drank. He made a disgusting wager where if he won then both Mirajane and Lisanna would have to spend the night with him, however Elfman had stood up to him like a real man and refused such a dirty wager, however they did make an agreement that if Bacchus lost then his guild would have to rename themselves Quatro Puppies. I was so happy watching Elfman take all the hits from that drunkard before standing tall at the end, even Mirajane had tears in her eyes.

Her own battle, however, was the one that confused me the most. She went up against a model from Blue Pegasus and instead of fighting they had a…well I guess you could call it a pose off. The two of them got out their curvaceous bodies in bikinis and the crowds went nuts over them. Or at least the male population did. I'm assuming the victor was decided based on popularity, however when other female guild members began to drop into the stands in their own bikinis to show off, I almost had a heart attack from the shock. Even people from our own guild were joining in!

"Since my body is made completely from water I can fill out a bathing suit better than any of these other girls." Juvia stated proudly as she stood already in her bikini, making me squeak and cover my eyes with a rosy blush on my cheeks as I looked away.

"Ugh, so you're gonna do it too?" Gajeel questioned with boredom but Juvia only gave an optimistic smile.

"A woman must do whatever she can to fight for her true love."

"Well good luck with that." Laxus grumbled as she leaped out into the open to strut her stuff and I was left alone with the both of them, making me shrink back as they both turned expectantly to me.

"Hey, don't you be getting any ideas, I am _not_ going out there to flaunt stuff I don't have!" I yelled at them as I protectively covered my arms over my chest, turning away with them whilst still blushing. They shrugged dismissively so I smiled in relief. That was until a pale blonde haired girl floated forwards and gripped my wrist.

"That's what you think!" She trilled happily and suddenly I found myself standing out in the open in a tight fitting bikini top of dark orange with gold tassels and a cream wrap around skirt slung low over my hips though it was practically see through and the bottom half matched perfectly with the top save for the tassels. I couldn't help it, I let out a shriek of horror then quickly tried to cover myself up, desperately trying to hide.

"Master Mavis! Get me back into the strands right now! I don't wanna be here…" I wailed as Levy butted her hip against mine and gave me a wink.

"Don't worry, you got a figure to be proud of, much better than mine." She said as she placed her hands on her hips and gestured to her rather flat chest. I couldn't argue but it didn't mean I had to like it. I felt completely exposed, practically naked as people ogled me. I was just glad that the scars I used to carry on my back had been healed long ago accidentally by Wendy when she'd used her healing magic on me, otherwise I'd be completely humiliated.

"Costume change!" The announcer yelled and suddenly my outfit turned into a navy blue one piece, making me blink before trying to press my legs tightly together as if it would help me to hide them away.

"Wendy, do me a favour and just keep your eyes closed." I said in humiliation as I held out my hand over her eyes, keeping her from being so tainted by all the busty beauties around her. After the school swimsuits it was back to bikinis and thigh high socks which made me feel even more scandalous than before and I was blushing bright red in embarrassment, my hand remaining over Wendy's eyes.

Once that was over we were given glasses by magic and I blinked as mine appeared on the bridge of my nose, rimmed with amber and round so I giggled as Levy and I looked at one another, Wendy giving a giggle as well. The next outfit was cat ears and I have to say, I felt a little more used to the level of skin being shown off, too busy laughing at Levy as she laughed at me. We wore cat ears on hair bands and had little bells around our necks with whiskers on our cheeks and tails too.

"Bondage gear!" The announcer called and suddenly I was trapped in a tight black leather corset and ruffled miniskirt, a long chain with handcuffs in my hands and I instinctively dropped them with a yelp.

"This is a whole new level of plain wrong!" I complained as Wendy covered her eyes again with one hand whilst I tugged on my outfit with the other, trying to make it cover more.

"I don't know, I feel pretty dangerous." Levy said to me, standing with her feet wide apart and rocked into her hip, tucking her hands behind her head with a smirk as I stared at her before clawing at my eyes with a wail.

"No! No that's just wrong! Stop it Levy, you're tainting me!" She gave a laugh before poking me in the ribs, smirking up at me dangerously as I recoiled from her slightly.

"Oh? Maybe I should ask Lucy to get Loke out here, I'm sure he'd love to see you looking so fierce and sexy." She suggested quietly, making me halt completely, horror stretching across my face and Levy stopped also, looking at me strangely. "Are you okay? Did something happen between you too?" I didn't answer save to shake my head, looking away from her. Just get me out of here right now, I'm done with this embarrassment!

"How about a blushing bride challenge? So ladies, grab a lucky guy and squeeze into some wedding dresses!" The light appeared around my body again and I blinked as I looked down, feeling a gentle rustle as silk appeared around my body and my eyes widened when I looked down at my own dress. It was perfect. There was no large ballroom skirt but just an easy floating material that rustled as I took a step forwards. It hugged my body from the waist upwards with a rather cheeky neckline, the halter neck revealing just a little more than necessary with a decoration of tiny pearls spilling down the neck and bodice to gradually fade out.

It was so beautiful I wanted to keep it for when I eventually did get married, if I ever did. My hair had even changed. It flowed around my shoulders effortlessly with a soft bounce and I could feel the tiara settled at the crown of my head and I reached up to feel it curiously before taking it off my head to look. It was golden with a pretty design of a rosary, tiny golden roses growing on the vines inside the three arches with tiny pearls embedded into the design also.

Levy stood before Droy and Jet who had leaped into the arena and been changed into smart grey suits, however she looked completely alarmed though perfectly adorable in a frilled dress that made her look like a cute little pixie. "Not so fast there buddy, Levy's never gonna marry you!" Droy yelled as he punched Jet in the face but the guy only turned and dealt back the blow.

"You think she wants you instead?" Jet demanded but they both blinked when they saw her looking towards Gajeel who was laying casually on the ground, refusing to take part so I gave Levy a smirk as I walked past her and lifted my chin.

"Hey Gajeel…" I began and he turned his head slightly towards me, looking utterly perplexed and slightly frightened as I smirked down at him. Without warning I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and flung him towards Levy, giving a laugh. "Here comes the bride!"

"Not cool Fae! I'll get you back for that one!" She wailed as Gajeel struck her with a full body tackle and they both went sprawling to the floor as I gripped my stomach in laughter, brushing the tears from my eyes as I slowly brought myself back under control. When a sudden smell filled my nose I turned around to see Loke with Lucy and my jaw instantly dropped. He had jumped into the air with her in his arms, wearing a dashing white suit and I instantly blushed, looking away quickly. Everything's fine, I only felt a little awkward with him close by.

"Looks like you're paired with me." A bored voice announced and I shrieked, taking a leap backwards from Laxus who had appeared in a grey suit, looking exceptionally smart with matching silk gloves. In my surprise and rushing movement I almost tripped up over my skirts and these weird shaped things on my feet. What the heck? Are these _heels_?! "Don't have to look so terrified." He drawled and I quickly lifted my hand to explain.

"No, no! You just caught me off guard, I didn't hear you appear next to me." I told him, giving an awkward laugh as I then stood up and looked at him. "You look incredibly different though, you suit a suit." I smiled at my own pun though Laxus just looked at me blankly before quickly averting his eyes.

"Yeah…well. Uh-you look white." I arched an eyebrow before I gave another gentle laugh at his attempt at a compliment. His eyes snapped back to me in irritation but instead of making a biting comment or shouting at me, he stopped and just looked at me, making me stop too. I realised then that he'd managed to distract me, making me wonder further if he'd picked up on the fact I was distressed. What struck me after that was the fact that with the seven year time difference, he and I were now the same age.

"Hm." I smiled up at him, causing a blush to touch his cheeks in embarrassment as he tusked his tongue in answer. When the wedding round was over the guys were magically transported back to their places and the dresses all disappeared. "Phew…" I exhaled, glad when my usual clothes returned and I could hide away once more. As I walked back to the boys I suddenly reached out and grabbed the front of their shirts, glaring forwards as I yanked them down to my level of height. "If you boys dare even speak about what you just saw to me again, I shall personally see that you will find yourselves in an early grave _twelve_ feet under. Understood?" There was no questioning.

"Yes ma'am." I released them and they fell backwards at the sudden lack of restraint and they landed flat on their butts, making me smirk slightly as I turned to watch Mirajane transform into her ultimate she devil form and completely obliterate her opponent, winning the match and I cheered for her loudly as she came smiling sweetly back to us.

"Wow, that was amazing! Nicely done." Juvia complimented and Mira blushed in answer.

"Thanks you guys but that whole experience was more than a little embarrassing." She admitted as she touched her cheek which was blushing darkly.

"Oh yeah? Well I bet that last part felt pretty damn good." Gajeel noted as he and Laxus stood back up, arms folded across their chests. Mira gave him a pretty smile before walking towards me as I struggled to keep the flush from reaching my face.

"I have to say Fae, you've been keeping secrets from us. Who knew you had such a photo ready body hidden away there, I was almost jealous!" She teased me, poking at my belly so I quickly scrambled away with a disgraced pout.

"I feel violated and humiliated. When I get my hands on that ghost I'm going to give her a piece of my mind." I muttered under my breath before sighing. The last fight of the day was between Sabertooth and Mermaid Heel, both of them were woman. I was particularly interested in the sword user and after I saw her display of complete power I had every right to be curious. She was powerful, defeating two zodiacs and even a thirteenth golden key without so much as unsheathing her sword. Perhaps I could learn a few lessons from her in magic sword form, it could prove very useful and I would love to learn.

Yukino, the other celestial wizard, was the one to lose and I almost felt sorry for her, seeing her lying flat on her back and crying in shock as Kagura completely dominated the battlefield. After a pretty successful day the others all hit the local pub to drink and make merry however I stayed away, choosing to spend my evening peacefully and with my mind not clouded by alcohol. I've never been able to stand the stuff anyway, it makes me feel sick.

I spent my time getting to know the city a little better, enjoying the sights and rather beautiful scenery around me. The castle looked rather magical bathed in the spotlights that surrounded its circumference, golden pillars standing tall with the spires glinting in the moonlight. I wish I had more time to see the entire city during the day but there was just too much to see and time was something I did not have in abundance.

As I was walking back to my guild I suddenly felt a sense of trepidation and it made me stop in my tracks. My senses were blaring in a warning so I frowned and looked towards a hotel in the distance, Crocus Gardens. Isn't that where Sabertooth were staying? I wonder why I feel as if something was about to happen, that someone I care about was in danger.

Without warning a huge explosion burst the windows on one of the floors, fire blazing so hot that I could feel its heat even from here. I knew without a doubt it was Natsu, his fire was so familiar to me I could find it anywhere. What the heck was he thinking?! Abandoning the round I leaped into the skies and flew straight for the hotel as it exploded once more and I could hear his angry roars from within as the guild of Sabertooth all leaped from their beds in a wild panic.

He'd completely destroyed the place, flames licking at the walls as I landed in one of the rooms that had been pillaged, tucking away my wings before running straight through the wreckage, my heart hammering in my chest as wild fears began to stampede through my head. "Natsu!" I yelled, stopping in a hallway to sniff out his scent but all I needed to do was follow the path of destruction. Scorch marks burned into the walls and doors had been broken in with his fiery kicks. He was releasing so much power that I almost buckled under its weight. Natsu was angry, very angry. I don't think I've ever felt this much rage from him before.

As I reached the large gathering hall I only had a split second to see what was happening before I was forced into action. Natsu was attacking the master of the Sabertooth guild but for what reason I didn't know, all I knew was I had to stop this right now before he gets himself killed. He was flinging flaming kicks and punches straight at the massive wizard who took them all like it were nothing, making my eyes widen before I bunched up the muscles in my legs and sprang forwards without anyone even seeing me arrive.

Natsu began to crackle with electricity, combining his fire with lightning and he leaped up into the air, calling out his next attack however I materialised in front of him, absorbing all the flames and lightning as I calmly twisted around, turning with my hands held outward and as he landed, the fire draining into the palms of my hands as the explosion boomed outward but as I drew it all into me the damage became minimal and I stood between him and the master, taking a deep breath with closed eyes as I pressed a palm against my fist, quenching the last of the magic before looking up at my friend.

"Fae, what the hell are you doing? Get out of my way and let me take this jerk!" He snapped at me with a snarling anger, making me only want to stand my ground further.

"Enough Natsu, you've gone too far." I told him but then the guild's master spoke with a similar tone, making me turn around to face him as I held out an arm, pointedly ordering Natsu to stay back.

"How dare you interrupt? This does not concern you little girl." He snarled and I arched an eyebrow at him without fear.

"Natsu is a member of my guild so in truth, this _does_ concern me." I answered him monotonously, my eyes never once leaving his and he seemed slightly taken aback by my unwavering look. "Please forgive him for this disruption, I am sure it is all just a misunderstanding."

"To hell it is! That creep threw out Yukino just because she lost her match today, I call foul!" Natsu bellowed so I whirled around and grabbed his scarf, yanking him forwards to glare at him intently, my eyes turning dark red and all at once, Natsu started to tremble, staring at me in shock.

"What happens in this guild is none of your business, Natsu. Not everyone can be like Fairy Tail, so just shut up and go home whilst I deal with the mess you've made here." I snarled then shoved him backwards, sending him a few steps away from me but his obstinate anger got the better of him as he yelled.

"No way! I'm not leaving until that jerk sees he's wrong! Now, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" It all happened so fast that in my memory it was all just a blur, something within me blocking the details from my own mind so that I wouldn't have to relive the pain. In his anger Natsu had barrelled forwards, intent on striking down the rival master however I had leaped into the way, making to try and push him back but his fist had swung unwittingly to force me out of the way but with all of Natsu's strength and anger behind the movement, I had been sent flying straight into a wall which had crumbled at the force of my body striking it, creating a large hole and as I landed on the ground the rubble had collapsed onto my back, causing me to scream in pain.

For a long while I was swallowed by blackness, a numb sensation running through my body until all at once it came back to me. Time sped up and I gave a hiss of agonised pain, struggling under the rubble but I couldn't move. As the dust cloud settled I heard Natsu yell my name in horrified panic, leaping through the break in the wall and quickly lifted the large pieces of wall off my body. "Fae I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it! Please tell me you're okay…" He pleaded with me, reaching out to touch my back but I instinctively drew back as far from him as I was able, lifting a hand to shield my face.

"Get away from me!" Hurt flashed through his face and he fell to his knees, staring down at me as I struggled to lift myself up. "Just get out of here Natsu and don't come back, don't come anywhere near me again!"

"But…Fae…"

"LEAVE!" Natsu flinched and pain filled his eyes with an overwhelming emotion but I didn't care. I still couldn't believe he'd struck me, even in his rage he should have been able to restrain himself from attacking a friend. Natsu stood up and stumbled backwards, shame and guilt now joining the hurt as I pushed myself up onto my feet, struggling for breath. "Get going and don't come back no matter what you hear." He bowed his head and stepped back through the wall, hands clenched firmly at his side as I stumbled to the gap and leaned against it for support, clutching my side as I remained winded from the blow.

The Sabertooth guild stood in silence, watching as Natsu turned and began to walk away however when the master of the guild took a stance and glared at Natsu's back I gave a low growl and limped forwards, standing in the way and held my place. "If you dare hurt him…I'll kill you all." My eyes flashed a bright crimson and the master stopped, glancing over my shoulder as Natsu paused before continuing to leave.

"My, my, you are quite the fierce little fairy aren't you?" A woman questioned as she sauntered forwards, stopping beside her master. "You seriously don't expect us to let that boy off so lightly, do you? He destroyed our hotel and attacked our master. We demand payment." She was a sultry beauty but too heavily made up, in my opinion. It made her look even meaner and more severe than she did naturally.

"I shall fix it all, I promise." I answered, wincing slightly as my ribs gave a painful throb. "But please whatever you do, don't hurt Natsu. He was just angry and he can't control his temper. I'll take his punishment in his place if you want payback, I don't care." She arched her eyebrow as the master narrowed his eyes.

"He should pay for his own crimes! I shall rip him limb from limb for disrespecting me and my guild this way!"

"All the more to let me take the beating." I retorted sharply, drawing myself up to my full height though my hand shook from the pain I was in. "It'll hurt Natsu more if you let me stand in his place, he'll get his own punishment at the same time if he sees one of his own guild members had got hurt on his account." It was the truth but at least he won't be injured in any way and that was all that mattered.

The master arched an eyebrow at me before all at once thrust out his hands. A painful shockwave slammed against me but I bit back the scream as I was flung against the wall, being winded once more and I felt one of my weaker ribs crack however just as I opened my eyes I heard his roar and saw a glimpse of a fist before it struck me in the face.

He pounded me with all his might, using mainly his fists and feet to deal the damage and I clenched my teeth tightly shut to keep from crying out or screaming. "Why don't you squeal, little girl? SCREAM!" He bellowed, landing a solid kick to my stomach and I flipped over several times before landing on my back, gasping for air as he cracked his knuckles over me, looming like a terrifying shadow.

"I won't! Because…if I scream…then Natsu will…come running right back." I panted unevenly before I smiled, making the master draw back as everyone else either stared in astonishment or looked away in guilt. "And I don't want that." His reply was a hand around my throat in a tight grip, lifting me off the ground and I began to choke as my windpipe was crushed, my fingers clawing at his hand. Oh god, he really intended to kill me.

"Father, perhaps the girl has had enough. Just think how it will look to everyone else if you kill a pest from an enemy guild?" The woman from before said however I could see the cold smirk and bright gleam in her eyes as she watched me struggling and thrashing out as stars burst in front of my eyes.

"Then no one shall ever find her body and no one will know it was Sabertooth who caused her death." He flung me against a wall and this time I retained my balance on shaky legs, gripping onto anything for support as he approached me. "You will die for that fire lizard's insult and be an example to all of you pathetic Fairy Tail rats. Sabertooth is the ultimate guild and _none_ can surpass us. _Especially_ not miserable wretches like you!"

"Sleep." I murmured, lifting my hand at the last moment as his fist came streaking straight for my face. With my fingers held over his face a tiny glow appeared and his eyes instantly slid shut, a deep breath exhaling from him and rumbling snores sounded as he lay crashed out on the ground, everyone gasping as I slumped slightly in relief.

"She just knocked out the master…with one spell!"

"How is she still standing? I've seen bigger men go down in less hits."

"Do you think her fight was rigged? I thought she was stronger than that."

"It was because she wasn't fighting back you idiot." I heard them all murmur as I moved forwards away from the snoring oaf of a man. Hopefully when he wakes up he won't be feeling so murderous, unless he feels insulted that I ended his fun too soon in which case I'm screwed. Damn I hurt all over, I've broken three ribs and I'm pretty sure my collarbone is broken as well as my right arm. As I felt everyone stare at me I hobbled lamely forwards before taking a deep breath, holding out a hand before me as I closed my eyes and focused on the hotel around me.

"Arc of Time, Restore." I murmured and I felt the rush of magic flow through me and bloom from me in a ripple of red light, catching on everything broken and I ignored the further murmurings as the hotel rebuilt itself around me, the walls returning to their previous state and all the scorch marks disappeared from sight. My magic drained from me slowly but steadily, keeping the magic working until finally the last particle was in place and I dropped my hand, breathing heavily before turning a glare on the woman as she frowned at me curiously. "I suggest you get your master back to his room. He'll remain asleep until the morning and most likely won't remember everything that happened, so tread with care." I advised before turning and walking away.

Their eyes bore into my back as I limped unsteadily, gripping onto the wall the moment I had the chance and I leaned against it dependently as both my legs continued to darken with bruises and I believe one of my kneecaps may even be dislocated. I didn't have enough magic left in me to form my wings, let alone my healer form so I was stuck with getting myself back to the guild's hotel, several blocks away. Maybe I'll collapse somewhere and someone will take pity on me.

I managed to get to an elevator and left the hotel, still struggling with walking but I forced myself to keep going. The further away I get from this guild the better, they're all crazy. However as I walked through the now empty streets I heard several voices behind me, vaguely familiar and when I sniffed the air I recognised the scents of the two dragon slayers and their cats, they were following me at a distance, trying to be discreet.

"I don't get why we're following her, she can drop dead for all I care." That was the russet coloured cat, the one who wore a blue waistcoat and had a bad attitude. I didn't like him much.

"She's scary." I heard the tiny voice of the frog suit wearing exceed. "She's scarier than Rogue and Sting, Lector."

"Whatever it doesn't matter. She's hurt and we can at least make sure she gets back to her guild. We may be Sabertooth but we're not heartless. Still, I wish I'd gotten a hit or two in before she put the master to sleep. I don't think I'll ever forget that."

"Me neither. It was…intriguing." Rogue answered the other dragon slayer, Sting. I clenched my jaw slightly at their whispering. They were a fair distance away but I could still hear them due to my sharp senses. They were bugging me with their rudeness and I wanted them to go away.

"Nothing intrigues you." Sting answered flatly but Rogue didn't reply so I assumed he had shrugged or something. "But did you see that look in her eyes? It was like she wasn't afraid of anything, even when master said he was going to kill her. She's got guts I'll give her that, plus that fight today proved that she's got some serious power. Did you see how she took down that wizard saint with barely any magic? It was insane."

"Yeah it was crazy but that guy was a pushover. I bet even Frosche could have beaten him." Lector answered dryly.

"Fro thinks so too!" The little frog chirped cheerfully and I hid a smile. I kinda wish I had an exceed friend like that. Maybe I'll kidnap the little fella and keep him for myself, he was just too cute, especially in that pink frog outfit. Wonder why he wears it?

"How is she still going? There has to be at least several bones broken, I heard the snapping." Sting wondered quietly.

"Perhaps she was secretly using an invisible shield to protect herself." Rogue answered in an empty tone. Finally having had enough of their talking behind my back I stopped and turned around, glaring at them in the darkness.

"If you've finished discussing me in private, perhaps you'll come and say what you have to say to my face or be of use and _go away_." I suggested to them, making them all stop and stare in surprise before the continued on towards me.

"How the hell did you hear us?"

"I have superior senses to that of other wizards and humans." I answered Lector with a sharp look. "What are you doing following me? Planning to finish me off? Now that your master is down I won't hold back, I'll go down fighting." For once Sting smirked and lifted his hands peacefully, trying to reassure me that they didn't mean any harm.

"Relax, we just figured seeing as you look just about ready to drop down dead we'd tag along to make sure no one tries to attack a helpless girl in the night." Sting informed me as he walked forwards but I drew back my shoulder warily, warning him to keep away. "But if you're gonna be rude then we'll just go." He smirked, flicking out a hand in a mock salute before turning to walk away. "Come on guys, I'm bone tired."

"Yeah, we'd better get back to sleep ready for tomorrow." Lector agreed as he trotted after his master however Rogue remained put and so did Frosche who was nibbling on his paw uncertainly.

"Hey…Rogue? Shouldn't we help her? She's hurt pretty bad." He questioned in a sweet voice so I gave a soft smile and lowered myself to my knees carefully, biting back the pain and hid it from my face as I stretched out a hand and brushed a finger against the warm fur, making Frosche blink in surprise before he nuzzled against me.

"I'll be alright, don't you worry about me. I'm tougher than I look." I chuckled lightly, rubbing the top of his head before drawing back. "You go back and get some rest, it's been a rather eventful night for us all."

"I could fly you home. I'm stronger than I look too." He offered but I shook my head, noticing Rogue's disdainful expression as he turned and began to walk away.

"Come on Fro, let's go." With a nod of my head Frosche turned and followed after Rogue, hurrying to catch up but looked worriedly back over his shoulder. Now that I was on the ground I couldn't bring myself to get back up. I hurt too much and I was so tired. There was blood on my face from a nosebleed and there was a pounding in my head that just wouldn't go away. There was no way I was in any shape to battle tomorrow, it just wasn't going to happen. Feeling faint and sickly I fell onto my side, laying pathetically on the ground as the dark clouds gathered overhead, casting the moon into shadow and the stars into darkness.

I felt so alone that I wanted to cry but I held back my tears, keeping them at bay though my shoulders shook and a feeble mewling escaped my throat as I gripped my head. This was all Natsu's fault, that dim-witted idiot. If only he hadn't gotten so angry then we wouldn't be in this mess. Now Sabertooth is going to demand revenge and he'll be their first target. What if I'm not there to protect him? He could get seriously injured, or worse killed.

Suddenly I became aware of footfalls approaching me, stopping at my side but I couldn't awaken myself to open my eyes so I relied on my sense of smell. "Is she dead?" Okay so that was Lector. What are they doing back here? I thought they'd left.

"No, she's still breathing." Sting's voice answered rather close to my ear and the next thing I knew he was lifting me up into the air. "Damn nuisance."

"We should just leave her. The master will not be happy to find out we've aided the enemy." Rogue mused tonelessly as we began to move forwards. I found myself oddly comfortable against Sting's solid chest seeing as he wore a fur lined jacket. It reminded me of Loke's jacket and I was instantly drawn to it, curling my fingers into the soft fur and I think I may have mumbled his name a few times but I wasn't sure.

"Well he's asleep now and no one knows we're gone so who cares?" Sting replied snappishly then grumbled under his breath as he shifted me further into his arms, complaining about me being such trouble.

"I didn't like watching her get hurt, master is very mean." Frosche said sadly as he and Lector walked with us.

"You didn't even watch, you hid behind me." Lector answered haughtily and that was the end of that conversation. The night air was cool but I hardly felt it against my skin as I lay against the warmth of the dragon slayer. I'll never forgive myself for being so drawn to him after this but for now it was the only comfort I had so I clung to it desperately, that is until I was stirred by the sound of someone shouting my name.

"Fae! What the heck happened? What did you do to her?!" Gray's voice filled my mind and I could smell him running towards us along with Erza who sounded just as shocked as he did.

"This has gotten too far out of hand. Explain yourselves!" She commanded but Sting and Rogue merely sneered at her.

"You should be thanking us. The stupid girl passed out in the street after facing our master. She was lucky we decided to follow after her otherwise she could be at the mercy of thugs and gangs right now." Sting returned and I heard Gray growl darkly, sending them a threat or two before Erza silenced him, ordering him to carry me.

I was surprised by how Sting hesitated before handing me over and he had to physically peel my hand away from his furry jacket as my subconscious demanded I keep it close to me, believing it to be Loke. "I suggest you get her medical attention quickly." He muttered as he turned around. "Oh, and find the guy called Loke, she's been muttering about him incessantly. It's irritating." Gray and Erza stood in blank shock as the two of them left with Fro and Lector before finally turning to me.

"They'll pay for this."

"For once I'm going to have to disagree with you. Natsu started this and Fae paid the price. She knew what she was doing when she took the consequences in his place, let's just be thankful she's still breathing." Erza replied before Gray ran with me to the infirmary where Porlyusica tended my many injuries. It was clear. There was no chance I'd be able to return to the games.

When I awoke the next day I refused to see anyone, wanting peace and quiet to rest alone however I listened to the announcements from the stadium, smiling softly as Erza defeated one hundred demons on her own and Cana, in my stead, successfully used Fairy Glitter to secure the points for first and second in the round.

Day three was the day when Fairy Tail started to gain hope once more, where we proved beyond a doubt that we were powerful. Not only did we score the top points in the first round, Laxus totally annihilated all of Raven Tail when they tried to trick everyone with an illusion fight and it turned out that even Ivan had participated, meaning that they were disqualified.

What made me get out of bed, however, was when Wendy was called to fight a girl from Lamia Scale called Shelia. As I pulled back the covers and revealed my bandaged body Porlyusica turned to look at me sharply. "You shouldn't be out of bed you imbecile, lay back down now!" She ordered but I only picked up a pair of crutches and used them to start moving out of the infirmary.

"I'm just going to see Wendy fight, that's all. I'll be fine." I promised, ignoring her biting tongue. "I know you want to watch her too, she's progressed so much and has grown very strong." Porlyusica grumbled in answer but couldn't argue so I went and stood outside in the open, looking down with a smile as the two young girls battled it out with surprising power and skill. The crowd certainly wasn't expecting a sky dragon slayer to battle against a sky god slayer, and I'll admit neither did I.

Wendy even pulled out a secret art, one that she must have learned recently. I felt so proud of her, even as she stood barely able to breathe with her knees shaking, I knew that no matter what the outcome of this fight Wendy had every right to be proud of herself. As she stood there on the verge of collapse, I lifted my voice and shouted out to the sky. "Don't give in Wendy!" Several people gasped and looked to see me standing alone on the outskirts of the stadium above the Fairy Tail guild box, but I lifted my hand up into the air as Wendy turned to look at me. "Fairy Tail believes in you!"

"AYE!" The cheer rang through the entire arena and Wendy gave a smile before turning to face her opponent again. The two girls were small but by all means, they were as mighty as thunder. Of all the battles I had seen I found theirs the most awe inspiring. At the end of the thirty minutes the bell rang and I nodded my head in approval at the draw, smiling softly before I returned to bed where Porlyusica scolded me for being so reckless as to put further strain on my body but I continued to smile.

"Fae! Fae it's me! I've come to see you!" Wendy cheered as she came running into the infirmary and jumped onto the bed with Romeo and Carla following. "Thank you for shouting out when you did, I needed that little cheer." She beamed and I gave a chuckle as Porlyusica abruptly ordered her off the bed as not to jolt me. "How are you feeling? Are you any better?"

"Much better, I'll be on my feet again very soon." I promised her but Porlyusica snorted doubtfully, making me roll my eyes.

"We heard about what happened, I'm not sure whether I'm impressed or angry. Maybe both." Romeo said before punching a fist into his hand. "I'd like to show those no good Sabertooth scumbags exactly who they're messing with." Reaching out I placed my hand over Romeo's as his hands glowed with fire and the moment my hand rested against his, the fire died out.

"In this case Romeo, we're in the wrong. Don't go chasing things that need to be left to rest, there's no point in further fighting." I told him but he growled angrily.

"But they hurt you! Just take a look at yourself! You can barely stand! I can't even recognise your face, it's all broken, bruised and swollen. You think I should just let them get away with hurting my big sister?" I was touched by the sentiment but I gave Romeo a stern look which made him fall silent as Wendy began to use her healing magic on me but I quickly gripped her wrist.

"Not now Wendy, you need to rest for a while, you used a lot of your magic in that fight and you need to recover your strength." I murmured to her, brushing my hand against her cheek as she sighed.

"I just don't like seeing you hurt so badly this way." She answered but Carla nodded her head in sombre agreement, walking forwards proudly up the length of my bed.

"Fae is right, child, you need rest. You've worked hard enough for today and Fae will heal naturally with time. You should take a nap to restore your own strength ready for tomorrow." She said however a hot pink haired girl suddenly appeared, giving a bright smile.

"Maybe I can help." She suggested and Wendy blinked in surprise.

"Shelia! What are you doing here?" She questioned in shock as the girl skipped forwards and began to use her sky god magic to begin healing me, starting with my face and I groaned at the relaxing sensation that began to flow through me. Wendy's magic was more soothing but this was still very nice.

"I heard you had a guild member who was beaten up pretty bad last night, so I thought I'd show the love and lend a hand! Don't worry, you'll be all better in no time." She winked at me and I gave her a grateful smile as the bruises began to fade from my face and my cracked jaw healed all on its own.

"Thank you, Shelia was it? I was very impressed by your battle. You two are both forces to be reckoned with." I complimented her as I lay back to be perfectly still, feeling several of my injuries fade away. "But you should rest as well, you may be able to heal injuries but your magic power still needs time to restore itself."

"Yeah you're right, but I wanted to help out a friend." She chirped, winking at Wendy who beamed at her. The two of them ran off together to get some food but Romeo took a seat at my side as I closed my eyes to rest.

"So did Natsu really hit you? I only heard a little about what happened, he seemed pretty shaken up when I tried to ask him about it because my dad wouldn't tell me." My face darkened slightly and I looked up at the ceiling, flinching inwardly as I remembered the heat of his flames and the force of his blow against my chest.

"I don't want to talk about it Romeo." I murmured to him and he blinked before nodding his head in understanding. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to try and sleep now."

"Sure. I'll be around if you need me so just call." He said, reaching out and brushing aside my hair from my face with a warm smile before leaving me alone. Porlyusica said nothing more and eventually she left too, leaving me all alone in the infirmary where I pressed my eyes shut and did my best to block the look of absolute rage on Natsu's face though it still burned fresh in my mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy was brought back into the infirmary after the naval battle and I felt bad for her. That witch from Sabertooth had beaten her almost to death and it was only thanks to Wendy and Shelia that no lasting damage was done. I was so furious that I struggled to keep myself under control. The only thing that did the trick was sitting by Lucy's side and singing her a lullaby as I combed my fingers through her hair.

"Hmm…that feels nice." She murmured, stirring from sleep. The others had left to participate in the next round but I'd stayed put at Porlyusica's orders to rest some more. Her eyes fluttered open and I gave her a comforting smile as I looked down at her. "Hey Fae, it's good to see you up on your feet."

"I don't feel so great, though I think you look worse than I do." I teased gently. "Don't worry about it. That woman is all evil and ego, there was nothing that you did wrong." I said to her reassuringly and she gave a quiet smile.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Her lids slowly closed once more to rest so I brushed back her hair one more time before rising to my feet shakily, taking a deep breath before using my crutches to get back into bed, drawing the curtain around me. I still haven't faced Natsu yet and a part of me didn't want to. However…I did want to see him and Gajeel go up against those twin dragons. I want to see how they fight.

So as everyone sat and listened to the announcer quietly I slipped away alone, using only one crutch this time and I hobbled out to watch from a distance as the four competitors all walked out into the arena. On the screen I could see Natsu's face and I flinched inwardly. There was something wrong about him, his eyes weren't shining like they usually do, he seemed broken.

The four dragon slayers faced one another and I watched on the massive screens as Sting smirked, looking straight at Natsu who narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw tightly in answer. I listened as they shared unpleasant greetings, the crowds all braying and almost drowned out their voices, however I could not fail to hear Sting as he pointed straight at Natsu.

"Let's make things more interesting, sticking with tradition. I wanna make a bet, Salamander, so listen closely because I'm not gonna say this twice. If we beat you, which we obviously will, then you have to hand over that pretty fairy girl that you seem so fond of. The one that can use Take Over." Natsu's eyes narrowed further and I saw Gajeel crack his knuckles.

"You mean Mira?" He growled darkly but Sting snorted.

"No way, I mean that other one, the one with the wings. The one that _you_ attacked last night." Sting said pointedly as he folded his arms, still smirking that sickening smirk of his. "If Rouge and I beat you into the dust then she has to come to our guild and be our personal attendant, doing everything we command and by that, I mean _everything_ , especially overnight." If Natsu could have been any angrier than last night he was now. I could feel the heat of his fire even when it boiled within his body, the surge of magical power surprising me as his fists clenched tightly.

"Listen _pal_ , you're not getting your hands on Fae because she's one of us! I'd never bet on her like that, it's disgusting." He snarled, pointing a finger straight at Sting who remained unabashed by the fury in Natsu's oddly calm tone. "I owe it to her to beat you both with everything I've got, I'm not going to lose this match! There's no way I'd ever let her become your little toy, she's been hurt enough times already."

"Yeah, what the Salamander said." Gajeel said in prickly agreement. "I like the kid, so she's not going anywhere. Doesn't mean we won't win though, you two are gonna find out what it means to be real dragon slayers." I remember being on edge the entire fight, gripping the side as the four of them fought together though most of it blurred from my mind save for the important parts, like when Sting and Rogue tapped into their dragon force and almost obliterated Gajeel and Natsu.

It was a battle that took my breath away, one that would be remembered for years to come until it eventually passes into legend where songs and poems would be written about the greatness of the four dragons, how their power had almost cost each of them their own lives until Natsu stood alone and beat both of them singlehandedly having gotten rid of Gajeel.

When it was all over there was a massive crater ripped in the ground several layers deep and the three of them were stuck at the bottom. Taking a deep breath I looked to the crutch I carried before laying it aside, spreading my wings and took off into the air with a twist, making people gasp as I glided forwards then plunged into the hole with Happy following me.

Natsu had fallen onto his back, grinning slightly however when his nose caught my scent he sat bolt upright, staring at me as I landed gracefully on the ground, barefoot and heavily bandaged still. I took a step then limped on my other, approaching Natsu with my hair rippling in thick waves down my back, folding my wings back out of the way. "Fae…I didn't mean…" Before he could finish I had fallen to my knees before him and pulled him into my arms, smiling against him as I fixed my arms around his neck.

"I know." I murmured into his scarf, closing my eyes and I felt Natsu place his hands on my waist, hesitating slightly before he pulled me closer in response. "It was only because I cared, Natsu. I didn't want to see you hurt." He nodded his head stiffly and when I pulled back I could see the tears in his eyes so I chuckled and brushed them away with my thumb. "Go on Happy, take Natsu up to the surface." Inclining my head Happy gave me a salute.

"Aye sir." I reared backwards with a small flap of my wings to lift myself a few inches off the ground, briefly taking the weight off my legs before I settled again. My head then turned to Sting and Rogue who lay flat on their backs, still in shock and too weak to move. I felt a little sorry for them as they would now face the wrath of their guild master, who no doubt would throw them out of the guild for losing.

Limping as carefully as I could I stopped when I stood over them both, glancing over their faces as Sting hardened his expression. "What do _you_ want?" He demanded to know so I only rolled my eyes.

"Nothing." I answered before reaching down and fisted my hand into the back of his jacket, hoisting him up easily with the strength in my arm before doing the same to Rogue, dragging them upwards before I spread my wings and gave a firm beat against the air, climbing upwards with them both as the crowd gasped in surprise.

My face was turned towards the sunlight as it gradually swallowed my vision, bursting before me as I reached the peak before my eyes quickly adjusted and I lowered my head as I hovered in the air, Sting and Rogue still securely latched against me. "Put us down…we don't want your help." Sting growled but I ignored his demand and instead glided towards where Frosche and Lector were running towards us on the ground.

"I'm only repaying a favour. I don't like to be in debt so consider this the end of our affiliation." I answered them as I gradually lowered us all to the ground, stretching out my good leg to take the weight before I let them slide to the ground.

"Rogue! Rogue!" Fro had tears streaming down his face as he ran to Rogue who brought himself upright to greet his friend, Lector hurrying in a similar fashion straight for Sting. "Why did you help Rogue?" Fro asked me after a few moments and I turned back from where I had begun to walk away, looking to the green exceed before I smiled warmly and the effect was instantaneous, making Fro's eyes gleam happily as I looked towards him.

"Because it was the right thing to do." I answered him simply before moving back towards the gaping hole in the arena. Honestly Natsu, whenever you go there's always mass destruction. Perhaps it's just a dragon slayer thing. "Arc of Time, Restore." I murmured, lifting my hand and the white magic circle appeared before my hands before it glided forwards, stretching out over the large shaft in the ground, a flow of magical energy rebuilding it all easily as time reversed and fixed itself.

It certainly was a good idea to learn this spell as I've already used it twice now. The crowd and even the commentators were astounded by the use of Lost Magic but I ignored them all, finishing the spell then turned back to Fro and Lector. "I suggest you get them to the infirmary. Natsu has a tendency to go overboard." I said to them before I flew back into the air, landing among the stands where I collected my crutch then made my way slowly back to Lucy and the others, giving a warm smile as I leaned in the doorway and listened to their laughter, seeing the bright smiles on their faces. They were all so happy, it made me feel warm inside.

When I got back to the infirmary I bit down on my lip and winced, feeling my ribs beginning to ache and I struggled to breathe, wheezing slightly as I sat back down on the bed and felt a cold sweat break out across my body, a slight shiver crawling up my spine as I tried to relax. "Why aren't I getting better? I still feel so weak." I asked in a whisper, looking across to Porlyusica as she mixed up some herbs into a potion and brought the sickly smelling bubbling froth over to me.

"You are still heavily injured and I believe you may have even damaged your magical container, the flow of magic in you is continually seeping out of you no matter how much you absorb back in." My eyes widened in shock.

"From the Sabertooth guild master?" I asked however the healer's eyes darkened down at me.

"No, I believe it was the blow you received from that idiot boy Natsu. The arrogant fool hit you with so much force that the aftershock ripped straight through you." She explained and I stared at her for a moment before I exhaled with a shudder, grinding my teeth together before nodding my head.

"Okay. We won't tell him that." I murmured and the older woman blinked at me with a frown.

"Why ever not? You want me to lie to them when I ask why I had to put you into a forced sleep?" I arched an eyebrow at her so she tusked her tongue at me. "Don't give me that look, you need to go into a deep rest so that your body can focus on healing. You'll be asleep for a long while but you'll wake up completely healed." She assured me. "Now open up and don't think about the flavour."

"Just promise me." I said to her as I pushed myself upright a little and opened my mouth. "Don't tell Natsu. He'll only beat himself up more over this. I don't want him to feel worse than he already does so just blame it on Sabertooth. Erza will keep him from doing anything stupid until I wake up so it'll all be okay." Porlyusica just scowled down at me before shaking her head.

"Ignorant idiots, this is why I dislike you humans." She muttered before pinching my nose and forcing the potion down my throat. Although I swallowed I almost rejected the foul tasting medicine, retching slightly as I coughed, spluttering on the bitter and rotten taste before slowly, I felt my vision begin to throb and separate, a groan escaping me as I lifted up my hand and looked at it.

It doubled and then tripled, the lines blurring in front of me as I fell back against my pillows and exhaled deeply, struggling to keep my eyes open and my thoughts began to shut down until I was an empty shell of blackness, seeing only a slim crack of light before my eyes closed completely and I slipped into a deep unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

The world was trembling around me. Quaking as if in terror. Darkness plagued my mind and refused to relinquish its grasp to trap me in solitary. I couldn't move yet I had the strangest of sensations filling me from deep within my core. People were screaming, I could hear them in my head rattling the walls of black around me.

Distantly I heard the roars of beasts rumbling like the clap of thunder in the most torrential of storms, cascading waves of fear resonating as I slowly fought forwards to the light, struggling as I heard the cries of my guild mates screaming in my ears. They were in danger. I could _feel_ it. My guild was in terrible peril and I have to be there to help them otherwise I'd never forgive myself.

Whatever Porlyusica had given me it was pretty powerful stuff as I was fighting every step of the way to find my senses until finally, my eyes were open and I looked directly upwards. There were cracks in the ceilings and walls, crumbling down with rocks and dust falling all around me as I sat bolt upright with a gasp and sprang to my feet, intending to make haste however my legs gave way and I had to grip onto a chair for support, waiting for the feeling to come back to my legs.

A colossal roar filled the night and my eyes widened with a pang of fear shooting through me. What was _that_?! Whatever it was it had managed to wake me from an enchanted sleep early as I could still feel I was weak and still healing, however I felt a considerable greater amount of magic flowing through me. My container must still be cracked but it had healed itself a little, allowing for more magic to be stored.

I ran outside to the stone balcony, pausing to grab my katana and was startled by the devastation around me and began to wonder what Natsu might have done, however when I looked out over the city I found a sight that would haunt me for a long time to come, branding itself on my mind as the city continued to fall to absolute ruin and desolation.

Dragons. Seven of them, trampling through the city with thousands of miniature ones crawling around the place. There were dragons of pure flame and rock, seemingly impenetrable even as they were hammered down with everything that we wizards had. Not only that but there were tiny dragon creatures crawling around the place like miniature robotic dragon creations, their metallic cries ringing in my ears as they swarmed the place and began to overwhelm our side. I need to get out there, they need my help but I still feel pretty beat up and if I use too much magic, there's a chance I could crack my magic container again or possibly even destroy it completely and I dread to think what kind of consequence that would yield.

Still, I have no choice. If there is any way I can protect my friends then I'll do it. They need me out there, they'd do the same if I was in danger like this. I summoned my magic to me and instantly glowed with a surreal light, feeling my wings appear on my back and I spread them wide before feeling the clink of metal, my Sword and Shield form having activated. Let's take down these bitches.

I shot into the air and felt the euphoric sensation of power flow through me, steeling my nerves as I took a nose dive straight down into the city and drew both katana from where they rested on my back. Flying low through the streets I streaked like a bullet, my expression hardening as I grit my teeth then gave a loud yell, drawing the attention of several of the baby dragons to me as they crowded around a group of wizards who were gasping for breath.

My swords flashed and as I flew I rotated on my back and into a tight spin, blades from my wings shooting out in all directions and between the two assaults, the dragons collapsed to the ground in metal heaps, exploding uselessly as I then continued my flight down the street, taking out any that I found with my blades, even punching straight though one with a metal clad fist as it had tried to jump on me from behind.

I quickly learned about their breath attack as it had almost caught me, shooting like a beam of concentrated pale blue light but with an awesome degree of power and impact. When they surrounded me at one point I had to shoot straight up into the air to avoid the blasts, glaring down at them all before I returned my katana then extended my hand, calling on the finishing piece of my Sword and Shield armour, the spear appearing in my hand and I pointed it downward.

With the blast of light that rocketed from its tip I guided the line so that it cut through them all in a bright flash, slicing off their heads in a manner that would make Erza proud. "Take cover!" I heard Wakaba yell and my head snapped around to see he, Macao and Romeo all leap down to cover themselves behind the rubble of a building, the baby dragons all sending a breath blast straight at them from all sides and I was instantly moving forwards with a burst of speed, throwing out a hand as I beat the attacks and managed to create a magical shield around us all, however I had to keep it small in order to activate it in time.

The explosions were huge but I hardly felt a thing, my defensive magic enhanced by my Sword and Shield form so the protective barrier held, meaning that as the smoke cleared around the outside, the dragons were snarling furiously at us. "Fae! You saved us." Romeo stared at me in surprise. "How come you're here? I was told you were put into an enchanted sleep."

"No time for questions now Romeo, we've got dragons to slay." I informed him as I dropped the shield and lifted myself into the air, my features darkening in concentration before I plummeted downwards with fist hammering into the earth. The shock rippled through the ground, tearing up stone and tossing all the surrounding dragon babies into the air as they clawed at nothing, screeching in confusion as Romeo and the other two were also tossed upwards however with another burst of speed my spear sliced through the air. All you could see was the flash of light they made before finally I stopped, standing before Romeo as he stared.

All together the dragons shattered into pieces, dismembered and deactivated as they crumbled to the ground with a clatter of metal. I sliced the spear to clean off the rubble, my face stoic and unwavering as I lifted my head to look at them all. "You guys okay? You look tired." I pointed out to Wakaba and Macao.

"We're just getting old but we're fine, we can handle things now from here." Macao assured me. "You should go on ahead and help out any of the others, they've got to be overrun by now, these things just keep on coming." Just as the words were out of his mouth, one of the little pests leaped over a wall and tried to tackle us so I turned and locked grips with it, snarling darkly as I planted my feet into the ground before I threw it over my head, turning quickly with a swipe of my wing to pierce it with several blades that pierced its body and pinned it to a wall before it went limp.

"You sure?" I asked and the three of them nodded their heads. "Alright then, take care. Just give a yell if you need me and I'll come right back. I don't know how much longer we can all withstand this, the city's already destroyed." I noted before I reached out and gently ruffled Romeo's hair. "Just remember. The heart of a Fairy Tail wizard is strong. It never gives in and never loses hope, you got that Romeo?"

"Yeah I got it. You go out there and kick ass, we'll hold things down here." He assured me with a firm nod of his head so I gave him a soft smile before I closed my eyes and switched forms to Lightning Deity. "Good luck."

"You too." I returned before shooting up into the air, crackling with electricity as I made my way further down into the city. It was strange seeing so many wizards from different guilds working together but also, very heart warming. It just proves that in the darkest of times, we can all work together to accomplish anything. We'll beat back these dragons for sure. With Fairy Tail on the case, they're not going to see the sunrise!

In my head I could hear Lisanna shouting to her brother and I rounded the corner before in a flash, I was at her side, giving a yell before I held out my hands and shot bolts of lightning directly forwards to cover Elfman, paralysing the baby dragons before they exploded from the lightning strike as I blurred forwards, using my blades to finish them off as Elfman swung his fists like a 'real man', as he would say. "Fae!" Lisanna called out with a sound of relief, making me stop as I stood on top of one of the beasts and looked over to her. "You shouldn't be here, you need to rest!"

"I'm not resting when there's a dragon war going on outside my window." I answered back stubbornly, powering a lightning fist in an uppercut into a dragon's jaw before a kick sent another one flying. "Besides, I'm not that hurt. I've still got plenty of fight left in me."

"Yeah! Let's finish this like real men!" Elfman yelled in his beast form, powering his heavy fists down on the creatures until they crumpled. "We'll beat every last one of them into scrap!" He roared as he went into a head on collision and ploughed straight through them. "Just stay back Lisanna, I don't want you getting hurt."

"But I can help!" Lisanna argued, clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes in irritation. "I'm not a little kid anymore, I have my own magic and we'll be better off fighting together! We're stronger that way!" She yelled back at him as I crossed my blades in a slashing motion, slicing through one of the dragon's necks before I held off the others with a blast of lightning.

"Lisanna, can you transform into something fast? If we can draw as many of these pests into this open area, I can create a meteor lightning storm and finish them off in one strike." I said, jumping down from my perch as a breath attack was launched at me and I flipped over my head before I landed at her side. "You're right, we can't keep on fighting with just pure offence. We need a little tact if we're going to get them all."

"Right, leave it to me." She nodded her head in agreement before pausing, looking to her brother for permission, wanting his blessing before she went. Pain contorted on Elfman's features as he struggled to relent his stand on the situation, however as another swarm of little dragons came over the hill, he finally nodded his consent.

"Alright, just be careful, you got that?" He said to her and she nodded her head before transforming into a giant bunny and went hopping away, a few of the dragons chasing after her as she took them on a wild goose chase.

"Let's do this Elfman. We'll clear out these ones then I want you to take cover with Lisanna when she gets back. I'll go all out with the lightning so you need to make sure that you two don't get hit because I might not have total control." I said as I momentarily switched forms back to Sword and Shield, feeling the gemstone on my circlet glowing brilliantly with warmth as my helm secured around my face.

"You got it! We're going to take you all down. MANLY STYLE!" He roared before diving into the fray as I did the same, giving a battle cry and let my swords do all the talking. We cleared out as many as possible, pushing them back until we heard Lisanna bounding towards us with a thick swarm of little dragons behind her.

"Incoming!" She yelled in warning so I stepped back, exchanging forms and instantly rose up into the air with a flap of my electric blue wings, my billowing sleeves and outfit crackling with sparks of electricity as I began to gather the clouds overhead, a hand stretched upwards as Lisanna turned back into her human self and ran to Elfman who quickly lifted a huge chunk of rock then crawled under with her for protection as the dragons all gave their mechanic roars, aiming their gaping mouths straight for us as I narrowed my eyes.

Thunder rumbled thickly and flashes of light appeared in the overcast skies, the clouds swirling around and around like a whirlpool of thick blackness, spreading further and further outward as rain began to spit at the ground, my eyes burning a crimson red as I felt the magic power continue to swell within me until it threatened to burst however as the pain increased, I transcended into my voice in one, thunderous yell. "LIGHTNING DEITY, HEAVENLY THUNDER STRIKE!"

With a thrust of my hands downwards, the power of the heavens became real. Bolts of lightning crackled down as they flared around me, striking the ground with powerful blasts and destroyed multiple targets in one hit, the ring of lightning crackling around me as I sustained the beams of electricity and moved them around in a swirl, trapping the baby dragons in my net as my yell escalated, building up until it reached its peak and I suddenly snapped my hands shut, ending the magic spell and took deep breaths to calm myself, feeling inwardly that I was beginning to push myself a little too far.

Slowly I descended, standing on top of a mountain of fried dragons and let go of my electric form to return to normal, still struggling for breath and trembling slightly but nonetheless, I was rather satisfied. There's just something endlessly pleasing about beating the crap out of your enemy. When I heard rock begin to shift I looked over to where Elfman flung the wall off his back, revealing Lisanna safely tucked under him and they both looked around them in awe. "You did all this? Wow, that's manly." Elfman breathed as Lisanna climbed up the pile carefully, looking around her with wide eyes.

"I can't believe it, it really worked." She said, reaching out to touch one of the dragon babies.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Lisanna." I said and she smiled up at me as I exhaled, closing my eyes for a moment to rest. This was exhausting. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold this up but even as my ears trained on the battles around us, I could hear the desperate cries of people as they fell, making me shake and tears rose to my eyes as one by one their grief and desperation rang out in ear splitting screams. We were still loosing. This small victory meant nothing in the long run. We were totally helpless against these things and there is hardly anything we can do about it! There are still those other dragons out there tearing the place down, what can we do?

"Lisanna, look out!" Elfman suddenly yelled and I instinctively whirled around. The rubble of bodies shifted and one of the dragon babies leaped into view, opening its mouth wide and aimed straight for Lisanna who froze in place, staring up at the monster as it prepared a breath attack. "LISANNA!" Elfman's bellow rang in my ears as he tried to reach for her, barrelling straight forwards however as the attack came, my limbs were jolted into motion.

I flung myself forwards, using my height to an advantage and slammed against Lisanna to push her out of the way just as the beam of light reached us and somehow, I managed to get her out of the way in time as she cried out, trying to protest as I stood in the way. It was is if everything slowed around me whilst also striking into high definition, from every speck of dust to the sweat on our brows. I could see it all as the beam of light struck through my torso and burned straight through me.

It was cold, freezing cold yet burning hot at the same time. Funnily enough I didn't feel any pain, the shock must have blurred that sensation out of focus as I stared down at the large gaping wound before Elfman smashed through the dragon with one punch, breaking through its chest as I wavered in place, giving a shudder before I felt a sudden throb of fury resonate through me, sending my head spinning as Lisanna cried out my name. "FAE!"

The pain was excruciating, as if it were now catching up at me. As blood poured out of my wound I grasped it, feeling the darkness swell within me as I gave a cry then ripped back my head, roaring into the night with a cloak of blackness encasing me, the dark magic exposing itself as her voice shrieked in my mind wordlessly. She was so powerful that even as I tried to contain her she dragged herself further to the surface, clawing her way and with the swell of magical power in my body I felt the magical container crack further, causing pain to rip through my chest as I began to change form.

My wings became so large that they easily stood at twice my height, the black feathers ruffling as the magic I radiated caused them to shudder in excitement. My wrist was adorned with the same snake bracelet and my fingernails sporting the claws which clinked together as I flexed them, my eyes opening blood red with my forked tongue flickering through my fanged teeth. I felt so powerful, so dangerous, I couldn't help but indulge on the feeling as I was pushed further and further out of control by _her_. My demon. My Black Heart.

With my hair now silkier and somehow even blacker than before it cascaded down my back to my ankles, riding on the wind as the dark metal circlet appeared on my head with a coal black gem at its centre. I heard her snarl as her tail flickered, causing me to shudder at the blood thirsty sound. Holy crap, this is bad. With this amount of power, there was no way I would be able to contain it. As she looked over to Lisanna and Elfman, I felt her continuous snarl deepen as she clutched the wound tightly and her anger spiked.

"You pathetic little insect, you have wounded us!"

I couldn't even answer, she had thrust me so far aside that I was struggling to even claw back control. She was blocking me and there was nothing I could do about it. She gave an agonised and terrible roar, opening her devastating wings and flew up into the air spinning up into the clouds with the intent of flying away however instead we found ourselves face to face with two battling dragons, forcing her to fly back out of the way though she hissed, trembling from the pain in our chest and torso. "This is all your fault, now I am faced with opponents of great power and destructive capabilities. Why could you not just run away like a coward and protect us _both_?!"

 _You know I would never do that, I have a duty to my guild and I refuse to leave them like this._

"Unacceptable. The only thing that is important in this situation is me. I _must_ survive, however seeing as I am trapped in your humiliating body, it serves as my purpose to ensure your survival until I attain my full power once again." She snarled, quickly flying through the sky however we both felt the container crack, splitting further open and we screeched together in one voice, clutching our head and the claws dug into the skin as a burst of energy rushed out of us in a shadowy arc, causing us to scream further as it began to splurge out of our chest.

It felt like someone had grabbed my heart and was trying to pull it out. Our entire body was trembling, sweating in thick sheets as the magic continued to spill out of us like a reservoir until we were blinded by the pain, cracks beginning to appear in our skin. What was happening? I don't understand, how can this be possible?! Why am I burning up like this? Is the disrupted flow of magic collapsing inside me tearing through my entire body?

All I could think from then on was how excruciating the pain was, so much so that we couldn't hold ourselves in the air and we began to plummet, massive wings uselessly flailing until we struck the ground in a massive crater, the force rippling through the earth until everything was silent. We curled up into a ball, whimpering quietly as red tears of blood streaked down our face, our black lips quivering. "You're a fool…a damn _fool_ …" She whispered to me as I tried to think of a way out.

Something shifted beside us and our eyes opened to find ourselves completely surrounded by the smaller dragons, all of which were now opening their mouths and readying a breath attack at us. I didn't even have the strength to summon a shield, the magic power within us had stretched to its limit. It was only a matter of moments before it would completely shatter and cause an unbalance of power inside. Hopefully, the blast that will extend should take out these bastards as well, so that's some comfort.

I closed my eyes and exhaled, managing to roll onto my back and I lifted my right arm to look one last time at my Fairy Tail mark, the golden insignia branded proudly into my skin. It made me smile, and that was enough. As the multiple attacks shot forwards, I closed my eyes peacefully.


	8. Chapter 8

"I can't believe it, it really worked." She said, reaching out to touch one of the dragon babies.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Lisanna." I said and she smiled up at me as I exhaled, closing my eyes for a moment to rest. Suddenly my eyes flew open again and I whirled around, staring down at Lisanna and Elfman who wore similar expressions to me. What had just happened? I feel as if I've been through this before. "Do you guys…have this creepy sense of déjà vu?" I asked and they nodded their heads.

"Yeah, I even seem to remember one of the baby dragons jumping up from over there." Lisanna answered, pointing curiously to a particular spot among the rubble. Without warning it quivered, going still for a moment before all at once the dragon leaped up into the air.

"LISANNA!" Elfman bellowed however the two of us had already been moving. With a katana in hand I sent it shooting outward, releasing it so that it pierced the monster's chest and allowed Elfman to punch it down to shut its mouth before it could release its breath attack. Okay, now that's creepy. How did we know that was going to happen? "Are you alright little sis?"

"I'm fine, but I just…can't understand how we knew that was going to happen." Lisanna said as I retrieved my sword.

"It's like we're on an alternative time flow, we knew what was going to happen next." I stopped and my eyes widened. My Black Heart form, it was released and we were almost killed. I…I was hit in the stomach by that breath attack and her anger had released an uncontrollable wave of magic that had almost destroyed us from within.

"Fae? Do you really have that…that demon form? I seem to remember seeing you turn into this black angel of some kind." Lisanna asked me tentatively as I shook my head.

"No, I'm not sure. I can't really…I don't understand." I answered as Elfman cracked his knuckles.

"Lisanna and I will handle things here, you go give the others some help. We don't know what's happening but seeing as you can fly and move around quickly you're the ideal person to get to everyone." He said and Lisanna agreed with her brother.

"Right, we'll be fine here, you go help everyone else who needs you." She instructed as I activated my regular form and my white wings stretched outward.

"Take care both of you. I'll see you when this is over." I said before rising up into the air. The cold rush of wind was refreshing and I took a moment to close my eyes, breathing deeply. _You know that you need me. You need my power if you're going to help them._ She crowed in a soft whisper. _Just allow me full control, I can take down every last one of those dragons with the power I have stored in me_. "No. I can't let you. You'll destroy the dragons and then move onto the world. I may be weak in comparison to you but that's going to change." I said determinedly. "One day, I'm going to find a way to take you out of me and then I'll destroy you. I won't stop until you're eradicated completely from existence!" I swore before I heard a small voice whimpering in fear.

Frosche was hiding his eyes as he cowered behind Lector who was holding a stick in defence, glaring determinedly however I saw the approaching mini dragons and even worse, the building they were hiding behind was about to collapse. Fro looked so terrified and Lector wasn't much better, I could see him shaking at the knees. "Would you quit crying? Your buddy Lector is here to protect ya." Lector quipped though he shook.

The building toppled and they both gaped in fear, staring uselessly as the heavy rocks tumbled straight for them. "Look out!" I yelled and dove down, shining brightly as I switched forms before I planted myself behind them, stretching out my wings and held off the heavy rock with their strength, gritting my teeth as I crouched over the two exceeds.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Lector blinked in surprise. "Why did you save us?" He questioned as Frosche wailed with relief and attached himself to my arm.

"You saved us!" I gave a soft smile, my wings trembling under the weight of the wall but I rubbed the frog suit wearing cat with affection as he blinked his teary eyes up at me.

"You're safe now so there's no need to cry. I'll protect you." I promised before I pressed my hands against the wall and gave a yell, tossing it up into the air before I spun around with it like a flying disk, releasing a deep bellied roar as I let it fly towards the group of four dragons, crushing them instantly. "Hop onto my shoulders, I can keep you safe from there. Whatever you do don't let go and let me handle the rest." I instructed, grabbing them by their scruffs and tossing them onto my back as I drew both katana then flew up into the air, noticing that Sting and Rogue were close by, fighting off two dragons together.

"Sting! We gotta go help them! They're fighting two dragons all on their own!" Lector yelled right in my ear, making me flinch before I scowled at him irritably.

"They're dragon slayers, their magic is the only kind that stands a chance against dragons. If I go in there with you two we'll only be in the way." I answered back as I pulled up sharply, avoiding several breath attacks as they blasted upwards right in my face, forcing me to angle down and spiral out of the way as several more came chasing after us, the cats yelling in my ear at the adventurous flight path.

My swords flashed and with a straight flight line I cut through the ones that had attacked us, finishing them all in one strike however I could feel my magic power beginning to drain. I'll have to switch forms, this one demands too much magical strength and I won't be able to sustain it for much longer. "But they're on their own! We have to do something, they're our friends!" Lector yelled at me again as I exchanged forms, changing into my Aerial Spirit.

"Please nice lady? I'm worried about Rogue. He's hurt pretty bad." Frosche murmured winsomely to me, blinking his teary orbs and I found myself beginning to waver before finally I groaned.

"Okay fine, let's go commit suicide by facing up with two dragons." I muttered before veering around sharply and heading back the way I had come, slicing through any baby dragons I found on the way before I slid my katana away and accelerated, the cats yelling as they struggled to keep grip and an air barrier formed around us, causing their cheeks to flap wildly as I remained perfectly unaffected.

Suddenly we came straight across Sting and Rogue, back to back and facing their dragons who were in the process of trying to squish them both with massive clawed hands however before they could make contact I pushed myself faster, reaching out and grabbed them both by the scruffs of their jackets, dragging them out of the way as they yelled until I spiralled upwards in a tight spin, extending my wings as I rose high above the dragons who looked down in confusion. "Now's your chance, hit them with everything you've got." I said as I held the two boys up with one grip on each.

"Where the hell did _you_ come from?" Sting demanded to know as Lector leaped on him.

"Sting! You're okay!"

"Lector?"

"No time to explain, now get dragon slaying!" I yelled before tossing them downwards with all the strength I could muster, making them yell before Sting gave a mad hoot, opening himself up as the two of them levelled out then used a double breath attack, hitting the dragons at the base of their skulls and they both face planted the ground, making me laugh as I held onto the two exceeds in my arms. "Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" I cheered before diving down, flitting around like a streak of light before I balled a fist. "Hurricane Uppercut!" My fist clenched with a powerful hurricane wrapping around it, adding more magical power before I punched straight upwards into the water dragon's soft under mouth, throwing it off balance as it roared before turning a hiss on me but I was already gone from sight, attacking the other dragon with slashes of air like razors which seemed to only piss it off further.

However, the intent was achieved. To draw their attention to me as I hovered in the air, my airy wings flapping serenely as the two exceeds hid behind my shoulders. "Now come get me you overgrown lizards, I want to see what you old fossils have got!"

"You dare mock us, insignificant human?" They snarled at me and my eyes narrowed. "You will regret ever coming into contact with a dragon, for we shall burn you to ashes!" Let them try, they'll have to catch me first. The water dragon snapped its jaws for me but I breezed out of the way, watching as the other came at me with a wing so I shot upwards to avoid contact, smirking as Sting and Rogue began to attack from underneath, taking the opening as I hovered above.

"Don't you have anything with a little more firepower?" Lector demanded in a haughty tone so I shot a look at him.

"Listen cat, you're riding on _my_ shoulders, remember? How about I just feed you to one of those dragons and save myself an earache? You want firepower? Then I'll give you firepower." I snapped before spreading my hands, summoning my form to me and the light quickly disappeared as I radiated with heat, a smirk touching my lips as my horns protruded proudly on top of my head among my smoky, ashy hair. "Let's bring the burn." I mused before punching a hand into my fist. "Dragon slayers, get outta the way!"

Sting and Rogue looked up to see me come hurtling down straight for the earth, my arms spread wide however they instantly took my advice and leaped backwards, allowing me the space I needed as I crashed feet first into the solid ground, cracking it in a web effect before it crumbled and split, my yell thundering over the sudden bursts of lava that exploded from the ground as if from the mouth of a volcano. "Volcano Eruption!" The molten lava burned brightly with an intense heat, singing the exceeds slightly as the several plumes ejected from the crack that split right under the dragons and they roared, feeling the intense burning as it smothered over them.

"You insolent insect!" They roared before whirling around for me, snapping their jaws or slicing with their clawed so I gave a flap of my leathery wings and arced around, closing my hand into a fist and the magma swirled around my fist as I rabbit punched the horn bearing dragon, aiming straight for its eye and scored perfect marks.

"Wow, she's tough. She's holding her own against two dragons that we can't even put a scratch on." Sting mused so I shot them a glare.

"Holding my own? Are you kidding me? I NEARLY GOT EATEN! NOW GET YOUR BUTTS OUT HERE AND HELP ME!" I yelled, suddenly forced to swiftly move out the way of another set of jaws however this time was dangerously close. They're pretty fast for such massive creatures. Sting instantly jumped back into the battle with Rogue dropping into the ground like a shadow, snaking his way forwards before they both launched their attacks at the same time, allowing me a gap to escape to higher ground. Or air space, that is.

"This is crazy, nothing seems to be working!" Lector said as we hovered above, my chest heaving as I struggled to hold my form. This is bad, these dragons aren't feeling a thing no matter what we do to them. "What do we do? If we can't slay them then they'll destroy the whole world!"

"Well, then we better do our best to slow them down." I answered before taking a nose dive, closing my wings around us like a cloak before I rotated like a bullet, arcing around and slammed straight into a dragon's jaw, however I felt the shock vibrate through me more as I stretched out my wings quickly, giving a flap however before I could move out of the way, the dragon had backhanded me with full force, making me cry out as I was sent flying straight for the ground.

"Look out!" I heard Rogue and Sting however I couldn't do anything to stop the inevitable impact, all I could do was protect Frosche and Lector as I felt the last of my magic drain away. My Volcanic Priestess form disappeared into my regular Angel Soul so I grabbed the exceeds, tucking them close into my and I folded my wings around them so that they were protected before I slammed against stone, crumbling it with the impact of my tough body before I went sliding through several more layers until finally, we skidded to a halt.

For a moment I lay there completely stunned, struggling to open my eyes and focused as Sting and Rogue appeared in front of me, yelling something and used their powers to hold off the dragons as I slowly uncurled, opening my wings to reveal Lector and Frosche perfectly intact and unharmed as my arms dropped from around them. "Hey! Wake up! You gotta wake up!" Lector yelled, shaking my shoulder as my wings disappeared.

"Were you hurt bad? Do you need a doctor?" Frosche asked as I slowly came back around.

"I'm fine, I just…need a moment." I whispered before wincing, trying to take deeper breaths. "Please…get off a sec." Both exceeds quickly hopped off my chest and I instantly felt a little better, sucking air into my body before I gradually began to rise to my feet. Every sound was dulled, like something was muffling every single noise from the explosions of magic against thick hide to the shouts of the exceeds and their friends.

I don't know how long I stood there, it could have been a few seconds or a few minutes. I lost all sense of time and spatial awareness as I slowly began to move forwards, my throbbing eyes focused on the dim shapes of giant beasts in front. Rogue shouted something at me, probably telling me to get back but I didn't really listen, moving past them both to stand directly in front of the dragons. We're running out of time and energy. We have to make a stand here and now otherwise we're all goners.

"Hit me." I spoke, my senses snapping back into focus with a sharp sense of reality.

"What? Are you crazy?" Sting demanded but I whirled around, eyes narrowed and determined.

"Hit me with everything you've got. This is our last chance to try and put a dent in these guys. Don't argue, just do it!" I yelled before I widened my stance, glaring at them both as they glanced at one another before complying. They turned their attacks on me and amplified their magical input as much as they were able, meaning that when I was struck with the forces of light and dark I felt a thrilling swell of power shoot through me as my body glowed with a golden metallic sheen, absorbing the energy into my body before all at once, I released it into two beams of light and dark at the dragons, holding my hands directly out toward them.

The explosion was colossal and I had been sure to hit them directly in the face, causing a large cloud of dust to rise up as I expelled everything with double the force, however the consequence meant that I was now completely drained and I felt weak, lethargic and heavy as if I'd been shackled to the earth. There was a silence and we held our breath, watching as the dust slowly cleared.

"What? Not even that did anything?" Sting's voice echoed in my head as I stared at the two dragons, completely unharmed. That attack had been insane, had we turned it on the city, it would have easily raised it to the ground but it hadn't even so much as put a mark on them. Exactly how powerful are these things? Were we really useless to stop them? I fell to my knees in disbelief and weakness, slowly dragging air into my body as I stared at the two dragons, their snide looks turning on us all. That's it. We're doomed.

"We did our best." Rogue murmured as the two of them stepped closer to me with Lector and Frosche close behind. "But we've still got to try harder."

"You're right, let's end this! Hey, you got any better pairs of wings than those you've already shown us?" Sting questioned me as they prepared to attack together but I just looked back at them, completely dead on my feet as my vision throbbed.

"Yes…but…I have…no more…magic…left…" Just as I finished my breathless answer, however, the dragons began to glow. My eyes widened and I watched as they expanded into spheres before rapidly shrinking, disappearing into a burst of golden dust just like that, as if I'd snapped my fingers and they'd vanished like a magic trick.

"What the hell? Did we do that?" Turning my head I looked towards the castle, giving a slight smile as I sensed that somehow, Natsu being the destructive maniac had somehow come in handy for once.

"No." I answered, sitting back on my legs as I planted a hand on the ground. "Wherever those dragons came from, I think they've been sent back." Giving a deep exhale I lay down on my side and closed my eyes, turning onto my back to look up at the beautiful starry sky, giving a smile. "It's crazy…we just fought dragons…if I ever have kids, they'll never believe me when I tell them about this."

"I hear ya." Sting agreed as Frosche prodded me gently.

"Are you sleepy?" He asked and I nodded my head.

"Very. I'm still pretty beat up from during the games. It's a wonder I've even lasted this long, I'm just glad I didn't end up as a snack for a dragon. That would be a lame way to die." I noted before I sensed Lector standing next to me so I turned my head to look at him. He looked deeply apologetic and grateful, an expression that surprised me as he reached out and placed his paw on my face.

"Thanks. You saved our butts out there. If it weren't for you, I doubt we'd be here now." He said before folding his arms and pointedly turning away. "And that's all I'm saying so don't think I owe you my life or anything because I don't. There's no way I'd be indebted to a crazy harpy like you."

"Harpy?" I questioned before suddenly bursting into laughter. They all looked at me like I was crazy but I didn't care. I was just so happy this was all over. It was certainly a Grand Magic Games that people will remember, I doubt I'll ever forget. I met real dragons and although they tried to kill me, it was pretty awesome.

As tears of laughter streaked down my face I lay among the debris and destruction of a dragon's wake, lifting my arm and turning it over to see my emblem still standing proud on my skin, the golden colour slightly marred by dirt and dust but still clear and visible. It was a heart-warming image, looking at my Fairy Tail mark with the backdrop of millions of stars with a cool night breeze blowing around me. I was tired, beaten, bruised and severely injured but that was okay. I was alive and I could feel that all my friends were as well, so in my eyes, everything was okay.


	9. Chapter 9

It was several days before I felt back to my old self again. Porlyusica warned me that it's possible that I'll always have a crack in my magical container due to the emotional trauma I suffered during its rupture so she warned me to always be careful with how much magic I use before she chased me out with a broom. That woman sure was scary.

Once I was feeling up to strength, however, I was part of the team helping to restore the city. In fact with my Restore spell I had most of the city rebuilt on the first day of reconstruction about a week after the attack. The First Master warned me to take it easy as my injuries were still healing but I assured her that the more of the city I could help rebuild the better as people could go back to their ordinary lives. It was kind of amazing, no matter how terrible the dragons' destruction had been the Arc of Time magic repaired everything, down to the last photo frame and people could go back to their houses as if nothing had ever happened.

I'll have to remember to thank Ultear again next time I see her, after all she did transfer the spell over to me and it had already been highly useful. So with construction properly underway and the city more or less settled, the king threw us wizards a massive banquet in thanks for all our hard work. It was pretty amazing when I walked into the banqueting hall, listening to the music and seeing that Cana had already found the wine.

I didn't have much to wear so I had had to borrow one of Mirajane's, however I should have thought about how plunging it would be. I filled it out nicely enough however it had been far too low for my tastes, so I had altered it quickly during the day so that there were a garland of pale white and blue flowers and thankfully there was enough fabric to make the change. In the end I was left with a floor length gown of royal blue which fitted snugly against my body before it flared out past the hips.

It was sleeveless save for chiffon fabric that looped around my upper arms loosely then attached to the back, shimmering slightly as I walked. My hair I had pulled to one side, pinning it with a silver clasp of roses with my hair falling over one shoulder, curled professionally by Mira so that it had a little bounce to it. She'd attempted to put makeup on me however I'd managed to escape that before she could pin me down.

So overall, I was very comfortable in my dress and as I walked about the ballroom, I was happy to hide away out of sight where I could observe in peace. My bandages had come off just that morning however I was still a little tender here and there. Anyway, I was happy to watch. Mingling with strangers and making small talk wasn't really my thing and everyone else looked like they were having plenty of fun.

That is until everyone started to argue over who was going to get Yukino as their newest guild member. After Sting made a rather deep felt apology to her on behalf of Sabertooth, everyone began to fight over which guild she should join. It made me laugh and I sat back and watched the fighting until silence was ordered for the king to appear.

Standing I walked over to Gray, Lucy, Wendy and Erza to stand with them, watching as the doors opened and a figure walked forwards, wearing a formal robe and expensive looking clothes. Suddenly my jaw dropped and I stared at Natsu as he stood on the balcony wearing the king's crown and robes, making me almost drop to the floor and despair. Natsu, what have you done now?

"Loyal subjects! Shut up and listen." He yelled before giving a rather evil laugh. Oh he is so dead. "All hail King Natsu! New ruler of Fiore!" I could see the Master almost having a heart attack as everyone else stared in shock, Erza slapping a hand to her face as I slowly closed my mouth.

"That's it, he's insane." I sighed as the pumpkin headed king jumped up and down, trying to get his crown back.

"We should've seen this one coming." Lucy said with a sigh as I gestured to the balcony, looking at Erza.

"Want me to go get him?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind." She nodded so I activated my Angel Soul, calling out my regular wings then powered straight for the balcony where Natsu gave a yell however before he could escape I balled a fist and punched straight upwards, catching his chin and sending him flying straight into the ceiling where his head stuck in the hole his face created.

"Behave you pyromaniac." I snapped, holding out a hand and caught the crown in my outstretched hand before returning it to the king, bowing repeatedly and apologetically before returning back to Natsu. "You're acting like a little kid!"

"Aw come on no fair! You sucker punched me when I wasn't ready Fae!" Natsu's voice was muffled by the ceiling as I folded my arms and flew up to meet him as he pulled his head out and held onto the hole to try hold himself up. "Let's have a real battle then we'll see who's worthy to be crowned king for the day!"

"No thanks, it's an easy win for me anyway." I answered teasingly with a grin before Natsu lost his grip and he went tumbling down to the ground with a continuous yell, flailing madly before I dove down and grabbed him by his foot, holding him a foot off the floor before I dropped him, slowly descending with grace before I flashed with light and my wings disappeared. "Now behave you insane cotton candy haired dragon slayer, or I'll send you flying to the moon next." He just grinned at me, making me grin back before I helped him to his feet.

"Still throwing the punches I see." I heard Sting say behind me as Natsu bolted over to the food table to stuff his face so I turned around to see Sting and Rogue standing there with Frosche and Lector.

"Yeah, sorry about before." I told Rogue specifically and he nodded his head in acceptance. "Shall we call a truce? I feel like we've come a long way since we met. I reckon we can at least be friendly to one another now." I stuck out my hand to offer the peace treaty however Sting gave me a smirk.

"Actually, I think friends sounds like a better word. After all, you did help us hold off those dragons and you rescued our friends here. You sure got some spunk." We shook hands and grinned at one another.

"Yeah, you're not so bad after all." Lector agreed with a passive nod of his head as Frosche stretched out his hands.

"Fro thinks so too!" He was just too darn cute, he was wearing a little crown on his head and it had to be one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

"Why thank you, it's good to know you don't hate my guts anymore." I noted to Lector before I blew a strand of hair out of my face, glancing over to the dance floor to see that there were quite a few couples out there. Even Happy was dancing with Carla though he was drooling slightly as he gazed at her. Where's Levy? I haven't seen her yet, maybe I should go look for her.

"Who are you looking for?" Rogue asked me as I rose up on my toes to try and see Levy.

"My friend, I haven't seen her at all at the banquet. I guess she could be off reading somewhere but still…" Suddenly a flash of blue caught my eye and I quickly snapped my attention to it, seeing it disappear before reappearing again next to Gajeel's broad frame. Yup, that's Levy. She's dancing with Gajeel! I can't wait to hear about this later, though Jett and Droy look flabbergasted. "It's okay, I found her."

"Great, so do you wanna dance?" Sting asked and I blinked at him dumbly before he grabbed my hand and swung with me out onto the dance floor, making me yell in surprise before he took my hand and placed it on my shoulder. "Relax, I totally know how to dance." He grinned at me before starting the steps, moving with the music as I quickly recovered myself and tried to go along with him however I accidentally stepped on his toes, making him yelp.

"Sorry, I'm not always clumsy, you just took me by surprise." I squeaked before quickly righting myself. Sting just continued to smile, looking down at me as we danced together to the music before it ended and he handed me over to Rogue who also danced for me, however I could tell he wasn't too comfortable with being forced to dance as he was a little clumsy, making me smile easily as I gently teased him for his two left feet before I helped him figure out the steps.

It was an amazing night and I spent most of it dancing or talking, slowly sinking into my element as I stuck with people I knew. Eventually I managed to catch up with Levy and we danced together with quiet laughter as she whispered to me about Gajeel, making my smile spread further until one of the boys from Blue Pegasus asked Levy to dance and I was left on my own again until Gray stepped up and pulled me onto the dance floor.

Natsu, upon seeing that Gray was dancing rather effortlessly, immediately challenged Gray to a contest and yanked Lucy out to dance, whirling her around as she yelled and Gray quickly rose to the challenging, yelling at Natsu for picking the wrong fight and pretty soon as I was being dragged around and spun like a spinning top, wailing loudly before I managed to punch directly outward and caught both Gray and Natsu on the nose, knocking them out effectively as Lucy and I then fell onto our butts, dizzy and disorientated.

Erza dragged both Natsu and Gray away, ramming their heads together in punishment before I was helped up by Lisanna whilst Mirajane helped Lucy, steadying us until we were safely on our feet. "Those guys are crazy, I feel like my head is going to fall off any second." Lucy complained as she rubbed her face tentatively.

"I was lucky I actually hit their faces, I could barely focus on whether or not I was spinning on my head or my feet." I agreed, giving a long sigh before accepting a drink from Lisanna. We spent the entire night celebrating our success and enjoying everything about the banquet, from the food to the dancing to the general atmosphere, it was so nice to see everyone getting along without any real conflict.

My laughter joined the chorus of other's, the sweet scent of flavoursome food filling my nose and as my stomach demanded sustenance, I went to the table to eat in peace until Romeo asked me to dance later, which I gladly accepted. Memories of joy and sweet happiness filled my mind that night until I thought I would burst from the overflowing feelings my friends brought me until eventually, all I could do was stand back and admire the joyous views.


	10. Chapter 10

Out of everyone I had only told a select few people about my condition. Master Makarov, Erza, Levy and Lucy. They were the only ones who knew that my magical container was cracked and could break at any point in the future. I was like a ticking time bomb however I refused to give up work. I refused to give up magic, I'd keep on training and practicing until I learn how to either cope with this crack or it eventually heals.

Porlyusica told me that she couldn't put me back to sleep as the effects of such a powerful potion could put me to sleep forever. In truth she had been surprised that I had been able to force myself awake however the damage was done and I would have to heal naturally, however by continuing to use magic I wasn't exactly helping. The master had strictly forbidden me to go on jobs for a while and had cancelled any and all private demands for my skills, assuring me that I'd done enough and the council was willing to clear my name completely from any acts I may have committed under my old guild's name which he had secretly arranged without my knowing.

It had been a good feeling when they had presented me with the official documents clearing my name however I couldn't help but feel I should be doing more. There are still plenty of dark guilds out there, one day I'll find them and shut them down for good, including my father's. Next time I meet him, he won't even be able to compete with my magical strength.

The walk home took a while, it would have been faster to fly but I was also under orders not to use magic unless absolutely necessary. With the crack leaking Ethernano I was drawing in too much from the atmosphere around me whilst not being able to completely refill my magical potential. The only way I could combat this was with expelling enough to empty my container from time to time so that it didn't occasionally manage to fill up too much and overflow.

Levy wasn't home so I went upstairs and got changed into my ordinary clothes as it was the only clean outfit I had. My other clothes were all in the wash and I didn't want to stay in the spirit world clothing all day as it was a little too eccentric for my tastes. I pulled on my old skirt, black top and donned a ribbon in my hair before I sat down in a chair downstairs, starting to read a new book Levy had got. That is until I felt a spike in magical power and I sensed someone's presence in the house. "Who's there?" I demanded, taking in a deep breath before my eyes shot open again. "Loke? What are you doing here?"

"Came to check up on you." He answered, walking into the living room and I instantly shrank back slightly, turning my face away as a blush touched my cheeks, making him grin. "You embarrassed about such a handsome guy being in the same room alone with you?" He asked teasingly, stepping closer and curling his fingers around my chin to try and turn my face towards him but I refused to budge, remaining turned away from him. "What's the matter princess? Cat got your tongue? Would you let this big cat catch your tongue instead because you're looking incredibly tempting tonight…"

"Please stop it!" I snapped finally, feeling the walls I had built around me crumble all at once as I cried out before I could think, pushing my hands against his shoulders to expand the distance between us, clenching my eyes shut as I kept my face hidden from him. "Stop treating me like I'm nothing more than a target that you can flirt with. Stop embarrassing me like this. I can't take this anymore!" My heart was hammering in my chest and I felt tears rising to my eyes as I continued to hold him back, my head bowed so that he couldn't see me crying but I was pretty sure he could hear it. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to be so far away from you? I liked things better before when we could go and get ice cream whenever we wanted, when you'd walk with me by the river and even though I knew you didn't feel the same way I did, at least you were paying attention to me!" I blurted, choking on a sob as all the supressed emotion suddenly burst free. "But now you just ignore me, you never come to visit, it's like you've forgotten all about me!"

He was so silent I was almost afraid that he had disappeared on me so I tightened my grip on his jacket, my shoulders trembling as I struggled to breathe, the tight feeling of my chest constricting with every word. "I haven't seen you in months…years even. It's like…it's like you just don't care anymore…and that hurts more than anything I've ever experienced in the past, including the time before I came to Fairy Tail. I put my faith in you, let myself trust and even developed strong feelings for you but you just turned your back on it all. On me! I don't get it Loke, I don't get you at all!" I yelled before giving a final shove, lifting my head finally to reveal my distraught and tear stained expression.

All these feelings I'd kept tucked away for all these years were now bubbling to the surface and I couldn't do anything to stop them. My throat was dry and there was the heavy weighted feeling still anchoring itself around my chest, making it difficult for me to even begin regaining control of myself. Loke was just staring at me, his expression one of complete shock as I stood shaking at the knees, the emotion beginning to overflow within me until it couldn't be contained any further.

I felt the crack expand within me, making me cry out in pain as I clutched my chest and a similar crack appeared to the right of my heart, showing in my skin in a slim beam of light which shone outward and spread further like a break in stone, making me fall to my knees as I gripped my chest and struggled for breath, trying to push the emotion aside desperately. I guess over emotion also affected the condition, I'll have to be careful of that in future.

"Fae! Fae what's happening to you?" Loke demanded, falling to his knees in front of me and his hands hovered over me, hesitating to touch me in case I'd reject him. I sucked in a deep breath and lifted a hand to wipe my face dry, giving a shaky smile as I slowly lifted my face upwards towards him.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to yell at you like that. It was unfair." I said, trying to calm myself down as the crack in my chest split further and made me grunt from the stabbing pain, wheezing slightly as I continued. "You're contracted to Lucy now so it's not fair of me to want to keep you all to myself, I never realised how possessive I was before." I gave a weak laugh as I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip of myself. "The truth is I don't have much time left Loke. I just wanted you to know how I felt before I went but I didn't explain it very well."

"Fae…" He glanced down to the crack as it slowly disappeared, the evidence fading away and I took a deep breath as the pain gradually subsided as well, allowing me a clear head to think. "What happened to you? What do you mean you don't have much time left?" His fingers curled around my arms and gripped onto me tightly, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"There was an accident at the Grand Magic Games. I got hurt outside of the tournament and the emotional trauma was enough to rupture my magical container inside me. It's not a physical thing so that's why it can't really be fixed except maybe with time but it keeps on cracking further no matter what I do. Whether or not I use magic, one day it's going to break and…I don't know what'll happen then. I'll probably die, at least that's what Porlyusica told me."

"Emotional trauma? Fae…tell me what happened." I gave a sigh, lowering my head against as my hands rested uselessly in my lap.

"Well…it happened so fast that I don't really remember. All I can recall is trying to stop Natsu from attacking the old Master of Sabertooth but when he pushed me out of the way, his attack threw me through a wall." Loke's eyes widened further as I lifted my head again, meeting his eyes calmly. "I've been through a lot but I've never been hurt by a friend before. It was…heart shattering. I felt betrayed at the time and badly hurt. Not to mention I then took Natsu's punishment in his place so that didn't help…but…" I trailed off, shaking my head before giving a weak smile. "Natsu always had a gift for destroying things. Now it looks like he's destroyed me too."

"Fae I…I'm…I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me." Loke whispered, shaking slightly and I could see tears in his eyes as he suddenly pulled me into him, sitting down on the floor as his arms wrapped around me tightly and he buried his face in my hair. "I'll fix this. I promise I will. I'll search the libraries up in the spirit world and I'll find a way to cure you. Once you're all better, I'll come and see you every day and we'll go get ice cream until you're sick of the stuff. I won't disappoint you ever again, I swear."

"Loke…you know you need to be there for Lucy when she needs you." I said to him nonchalantly as I lay in his grip but didn't return the embrace though at my words he gripped onto me tightly. "You're her spirit, her Leo. You can't be hanging out with me if she needs you to help protect her. I know I said all those things but I didn't mean them, I was just…upset. I do understand you can't spend time with me anymore." I placed a hand against his chest and pushed him away, looking sadly at the floor. "I've been selfish so I deserve this. It's just…" Finally I managed a real smile as the thought entered my mind, turning it up to Loke as he continued to just look down at me with a pained expression. "It's just that whenever I was with you, I was so happy Loke. You always made me happy. I guess you have that effect on girls and that's why it was so easy to fall for you."

For once Loke didn't have an answer, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment before he pressed them shut and leaned into a hand with a darkness seemingly lingering over him as I climbed out of his grip and stood up. "I appreciate you taking pity on me when you did, Loke and I'm glad that you became my friend. I treasure the moments I did have with you and I'll make it be enough for me to be satisfied. You really were the starlight in my darkness, you showed me the way to be happy, truly happy for the first time in my life." I spoke to his back as he continued to sit on the floor, holding his head in his hands. "I won't forget you, I promise. But I think it's time for me to move on. After all, you're a celestial spirit and the leader of the zodiacs. I'm just a human." As I moved towards the door I paused, looking back at him. "A very lucky human." I added before I left the house, struggling to contain the welling emotion inside me once more. I need a distraction, something to keep me from breaking down into tears.

So I went running to the cliffs, straight for my mother's tombstone which looked much older now that it had been around for seven years with some moss here and there. Standing before her stone I sucked in a deep breath and let out a scream that I'd been holding in me for years. It expelled all the anger, all the grief and heartache until finally, I felt cleansed and I fell to my knees before the stone, reaching out to trace her name with my finger.

"I'll be coming to join you soon mother." I murmured to her softly, brushing my thumb against the stone. "And I'll have so many stories to tell."


	11. Chapter 11

Loke had disappeared after my partial confession to him and to be honest, I didn't expect to see him again. Why would I? I wasn't a part of his life anymore and that was okay, I'd come to terms with that. His first job was to be there for Lucy and I was proud that he was dedicated to his job, although his incessant flirting with her did hack her off. All the same, I need to start finding subtle ways of saying goodbye to people should I happen to spontaneously combust at some point.

I took to hanging out with Romeo a lot more, as well as Levy and the others when they weren't on jobs. I continued my lessons with Romeo, helping him learn awesome fire magic and he was even getting to the point where he was producing fireworks and they looked really pretty when he let them off into the night sky.

However with the disruption of time and all the crazy stuff with the dragons, nature had seemingly been thrown out of balance and everyone was taking jobs so most of the time the guild hall was empty these days, meaning I was alone with Mirajane which was nice, we had long talks and I even told her about the crack in my container. She'd broken down in tears and hugged me for two hours before I'd managed to tell her it was okay and possible that the crack will just heal, however she made it a point to take good care of me, supplying me with food and offering to let me stay around her place whilst Levy was away in case I got lonely.

I couldn't wait for the master to get back, I'm going to beg with him to let me take on jobs again before I go crazy just sitting there doing nothing whilst everyone else was out earning good money. I can't just do _nothing_ with my time, I was going insane! Though I did enjoy walking around town, today it was raining so I head over to the guildhall quickly to get out of it, deciding to cut short my routine walk.

As I pushed open the door and shook myself off I heard Erza's voice drift down the hall. "I find it ironic getting fashion advice from a nudist. Cover yourself please." She requested of Gray in a blunt tone as she stood in a builder's uniform whereas Gray stood in his bathing shorts. Didn't he just come from a town that was getting far too much heat? Someone should sort out the weather here, the rain is _warm_ for crying out loud.

"Excuse me but what is it you said that was strange?" Wendy was asking as I walked towards everyone.

"The job that Natsu's group just took." Carla answered as Erza looked back over her shoulder.

"Seavalis village doesn't actually exist." Erza revealed, catching my attention as I stopped at Mira's side and looked into the record book with her as Kinana started in surprise.

"How could it not exist?"

"I've done a number of jobs in that region and it's quite deserted. If there were a town there it would be populated by giant sea slugs." Erza answered as I found the log entry and noted down mentally where Lucy and Natsu had gone. Were they in trouble?

"If the town isn't real then we can assume that the job is fake too." Gray mused as Mirajane tilted her head to the side.

"But who would do something like that and what are they after?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." Carla said worriedly as she folded her arms. "Unfortunately it seems far too elaborate to be just a prank."

"If they're heading for a trap then we should warn them!" Wendy said and I nodded my head in agreement, lifting my head.

"I agree with Wendy, Natsu and Lucy might be in danger, I could fly out to find them and make sure they're okay." I offered but instantly both Mirajane and Erza barked at me with intense authority, making a shiver shoot down my spine as I trembled before them, their eyes glaring at me intently. I knew I shouldn't have told them about the crack…I should have just kept my mouth shut about it all.

"You're staying right here like the master ordered. You can't risk further injury to yourself." Erza said however I steeled my nerve and stood up straight, stepping forwards so that I was toe to toe with her.

"If Lucy, Natsu and Happy are in danger then they need to be warned beforehand or helped. I can fly there faster than any of you guys can travel, I could get to them in time." I argued as Erza held her ground, not answering but her eyes said it all. Gray frowned and rubbed the back of his head, looking at us both in confusion.

"What's this all about? Why shouldn't Fae go? She has a point, with her wings she could be there in no time and probably save us a whole load of hassle." He reasoned however Erza just continued to fixate her eyes on me as she spoke in a dark tone.

"I don't think Fae's told you the whole truth of the situation, has she?" Instantly I knew where she was going with this.

"Don't Erza, no one else needs to know about that yet." I growled, feeling my eyes blush bright red in anger. "I'm going and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm fed up of just sitting here doing nothing. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard too and I need to be out there doing _something_ , I hate staying here whilst everyone else is being useful! I feel so useless!" I cracked slightly so I clenched my eyes shut. "Please, it won't affect me in any way. Flying hardly takes any of my magic and it'll be a straight flight there. I could be there in a matter of minutes if I use my Aerial form, just let me do something useful. Please Erza." I begged, pressing my hands and bowing my head in front of her as she slowly exhaled.

"Alright. But do not attempt any taxing magic unless absolutely necessary. You hear me? If I find you overexerted yourself and made your condition worse then I'll finish you off myself." She growled with a hint of affection as I beamed and threw my arms around her.

"Thank you Erza! You're the greatest, I promise, it'll be like a walk around the park." I assured her before running for the exit, longing to taste sweet freedom. I flung the door open just as Yukino ran towards the guildhall however I didn't pause, I just wanted to get up into the air so I called out my Aerial spirit form then shot up into the air, giving a deep exhale before I turned towards the direction of the region I saw logged in the book, giving my wings a flap before I slowly gained speed, a boom resonating around me as I broke the sound barrier and soared straight to them.

Almost instantly I was out of the rain and into the sunlight, passing a snowy desert along the way before I was crossing the ocean. I slowed down enough to start searching the island, however when plumes of bright orange and dark purple exploded out of the earth and into the clouds, I reasoned that that's probably where Natsu was and had already set about destroying the place so I flew over.

When I saw what was down there, I had to stop and do a double take. I could smell celestial spirits however…they weren't like the ones I'd seen Lucy summon before. Their scents were the same but they looked so different. I mean, Aquarius was a cute little girl and not a scary fish lady! There was a centaur, an afro crab, a tanned Aries…and Loke, Loke had a full mane of hair and was wearing golden armour, standing on a rise above Natsu as he crowed to the heavens.

"This taste of freedom has left us craving more, complete freedom will be ours!" He declared, making Natsu frown up at him.

"What?" Loke suddenly lowered his weight, his hand suddenly holding massive amounts of power of a dark putrid light in a spherical form, rushing straight to his palm as he looked straight at Natsu. Oh crap, this is bad! Get out the way Natsu!

"There's no point in explaining it to you. It is something _far_ beyond your comprehension!" He yelled and I dove down quickly, throwing out two hands as I exchanged forms for my Sword and Shield in a nanosecond, grasping onto Loke's fist and cancelled out the attack as it exploded around us however my shield barrier instantly wrapped into place as my arm curled around Natsu, holding him under my arm to protect him as the attack deflected.

Once the smoke cleared, I narrowed my eyes. "Loke." I spoke darkly, glaring right at him. "What the hell are you playing at? You don't attack your friends this way, no matter how crazy in the head you've gone." I said before I dropped my weight and rose up into the air with a flash, kicking him in the chest to throw him back as his shocked expression rendered him completely immobilised by my arrival. I don't know who that guy is but it's not the Loke I know.

"Fae! Up here!" Happy yelled and I quickly flew up to him, changing to my regular form as I flew away with Happy as he struggled to hold Lucy up in the air, complaining about her weight.

"Hey put me back down Fae you can't just barge in like that I had him right where I wanted him!" Natsu yelled, kicking out as I struggled to maintain my grip so I hit him on the head to shut him up. Lucy was deep in thought, ignoring Happy's complaints and I looked across at her curiously. Does she know what's going on?

"He says they want complete freedom but…weren't they free already? What did he mean?"

"You're like a sack of bricks!" Happy suddenly yelled so I grabbed Lucy's arm and tossed him Natsu to shut him up.

"Not now Happy, we've got bigger problems at the moment." I told him before looking down to Lucy as I carried her with my arms under hers, holding her up that way as we continued to glide away. "Were those really your sprits? What happened to them all? And Loke, he didn't even seem to recognise me at all. What happened?"

"I don't know they just…stopped coming when I called for help and then Virgo showed up and attacked us." Lucy said a little breathlessly as I frowned. "Wait, how come you're here? I thought you were supposed to be confined to the guildhall!"

"I persuaded Erza to let me come. We found out that the job you guys took was a fake so I flew over here to see if you guys were in trouble. Guess I was right, Natsu nearly got blasted into a million pieces." I said as he remained unconscious in Happy's grasp. "But still…I can't believe Loke didn't have a clue who I was and they all just attacked you? I thought that was against celestial spirit law. They have to protect you, right?"

"That's right but I'm thinking that something has gone wrong. They're not themselves at all." Lucy said worriedly so I gave her a gentle and comforting smile.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll figure it out, I promise." I assured her before Happy and I head back to Magnolia and to the guildhall. When we got there everyone was gathered, including the master and when we finally walked in through the doors I could tell he wasn't impressed with me but I just gave him a winning smile and he rolled his eyes in answer, shaking his head towards me. Yukino was still there and as Lucy explained everything that had happened, everyone listened in dumbstruck shock.

"They want total freedom?" The master questioned as Lucy stood with her head bowed slightly so I rested my hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"But you have such a good relationship with them." Gray reasoned as Happy folded his arms, looking rather insightful as he spoke.

"Loke's like the head honcho of all the zodiac spirits isn't he? Maybe he's just being super rude and is trying to stir up some kind of trouble."

"Exactly! And that's why I think we should go with my plan and beat the snot out of that jerk." Natsu reasoned though Gray held his head in despair at our hot headed fire dragon slayer.

"Beating someone up isn't a plan you idiot."

"We can't go in guns blazing when we don't even know what we're dealing with Natsu." I reminded him as I stood by Lucy's side, folding my arms as I looked at him evenly. "When has that kind of plan ever worked before? Besides, don't you remember how powerful Loke was? It was far more intense than what I've ever seen before from him. Not only are the zodiacs acting crazy but they've got a crazy power boost as well."

"I fear this may be more than defiance." Master Makarov said thoughtfully as everyone looked towards him. "It's a revolt." A revolt? But why now? The celestial spirits have always been so peaceful towards their contractors, it doesn't make any sense.

"But why would it happen so suddenly?" Yukino questioned as Lucy finally lifted her head.

"That's not it, I refuse to believe they'd do that." Lucy said and Yukino nodded her head in agreement. "I know, I'll call Grandpa Crux again." She decided, reaching for her silver keys and pulled out Crux's key.

"But when you summoned him earlier Virgo beat him and then forced his gate to close."

"I know he'll find a way." Lucy said assuredly before standing up. "Open, gate of the Southern Cross, Crux!" They key shone a brilliant gold and a figure appeared, bursting with a puff of smoke as the chime of a clock sounded, a tall grandfather clock with a face standing before us. "Wait, what? I summoned Crux not you!"

"Coming here is extremely dangerous so I had this gentleman bring me. He says…through continuous snoring." Horologium informed us as Crux sat snoring safely inside the case.

"Well the others may have roughed him up a bit but at least he gets to sleep it off!" Happy pointed to the snoring cross, a snot bubble hanging out of its nose. Just then the doors flew open and Team Shadow Gear appeared, calling out to us with a wave and I smiled towards Levy however Erza hushed them as the boys demanded food, making them frown in confusion as Lucy faced Crux.

"Grandpa Crux, can you tell us what's happening in the celestial world?"

"At first everything was so peaceful but then all of a sudden rebellion began to spread like wildfire. Contracts between zodiac spirits and their key holders became null and void. There was no warning for this, much less any kind of reason given." He explained in his old voice and I listened with a worried feeling pounding in my chest. "They've been running amuck ever since, destroying the celestial world and sending us silver keys into hiding, fearful for our lives."

"What about old moustache face?" Natsu asked pointedly.

"Couldn't the Celestial Spirit King restore order?" Gray asked as Grandpa Crux lifted his hands in a half hearted shrug.

"Perhaps he could if anyone knew where he was. He's disappeared without any kind of trace."

"You mean you haven't even seen him since? That's bad." Lucy whispered as I took a seat on a table, Levy and the boys walking over and she glanced at me with a worried look before turning back to Crux and Horologium to listen.

"Leo the Lion is the official leader of the zodiac spirits so we can assume they're acting under his command." Horologium reasoned as Happy gave a pout.

"And he had the nerve to pretend like he didn't even know who we were."

"Happy, that's because he really didn't know." I answered him, lifting a hand to reason with him. "When I arrived, Leo looked like he'd never even seen me before, in fact I'm pretty sure he was shocked that I even appeared when I did. It was like he was meeting a new enemy for the first time." I gave a shudder. "I hate to say it but it really does look like the zodiac spirits really can't remember who we are or what they were to Lucy and Yukino. It's like something has made them all forget."

Although I wanted to help when it was decided that we would be splitting into two teams to search for this globe thing that would apparently be crucial for a ritual to free the celestial spirits from their bonds, the master point blank refused to let me help, saying that it was too dangerous for me to get involved. I was furious. So furious that I let out an enraged yell and the pulse of magic that escaped me completely destroyed the interior of the guildhall after everyone else had left. I felt like I was a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum but I didn't care.

"But master, you can't keep me locked away like this, if I can't go out there and help protect my friends then what use am I? What's the point of being a guild wizard?!" I demanded to know as I faced him, feeling my anger spike and the cracks in my chest appeared once more, glowing bright white however instead of hurting they only fuelled my anger further and another split appeared travelling up my neck before I forced myself to calm down, Makarov looking at me with his stern eyes. "There's no point of me staying here if I can't use my magic. If you don't let me go after them…then I'll leave Fairy Tail!" I declared, making him start in surprise and even Warren looked up in shock. "As much as I love this guild and all the people in it, I refuse to be a burden. I can't just wait out the rest of my life being careful, I want to go on more adventures and be helpful to the people I care about."

Makarov just looked at me, sitting cross legged on the bar wearing his Hawaiian shirt and shorts from the tropics he'd just come from. I held my ground, ignoring the throbbing sensation in my neck from where the crack had spread. It were as if I were made from porcelain, nothing more than a doll which was beginning to break due to age and mistreatment. "Please master. I can't abandon them. Not when I feel like I can be doing something to help. Loke is my friend too."

"I do not want to send you into a situation which could forfeit your life, Fae." Makarov told me tenderly, exhaling deeply as he closed his eyes. "You are all my children and you especially have caused me great concern over the years. You have only told me a little of what you endured before you came here and I have always wanted to compensate such a painful childhood with a life here worthy of your smile." I felt touched, a warmth glowing inside me as Makarov then looked me in the eye. "But you are right. Hiding away is not going to help anyone, least of all you. Your place is at your friends' side, you have always fought better when protecting your friends."

"So…you'll let me go?" There was a long pause before gradually, the master nodded. A broad smile stretched across my face and I flung my arms around him in a crushing hug, exhaling with relief as he yelped in pain so I quickly released him. "Thank you master, I promise I won't let you down." I told him before jumping off the dais and ran for the double doors. "Hey Warren! Think you can guide me to the others?"

"Sure can, just leave it to me." He said before starting to give me directions in my head. I flew the way Warren directed me, keeping just below the clouds as my wings stretched out wide, gliding effortlessly as I followed Warren's instructions. It didn't take me long to find the gateway however when I entered, I found myself diving into a strange dimension of dark smoky surroundings with a total of twelve gates around me. It was deserted however I could locate different scents through the air and I followed one to the gat of Leo, sensing that Loke had passed through there along with Happy and Natsu.

I dove straight into the gate, a burst of light enveloping me before I found myself facing a pyramid ruin that looked totally deserted however I could smell a mixture of scents, Wendy and Carla's joining the fray so I flew forwards, stretching my wings out before I tucked them into me and went spiralling into the ruin, following my nose as it guided me after Natsu and the others.

It was a long flight, seemingly stretching on forever however I eventually found myself flying through a spatial dimension, everything shattering and twisting around me but I only increased my speed, following Natsu's scent before finally, I rose up into open air and looked down on a mountainous range below me. The sky was dark and murky however it was filled with lights like red beacons, homing in on a centre point which Carla, Happy and Wendy were trying to reach but my attention focused in on Natsu and Evil Leo.

Natsu had fired himself up, consumed by bright scarlet flames whilst Leo was surrounded by a black darkness which swarmed around him like a disease. "Pitch Black Punishment!" His power was overwhelming, throwing Natsu back against stone and cracked his silhouette into the surface, making me cry out instinctively. "I knew I shouldn't expect much from human garbage." He said as I began to seethe with anger. How dare he call Natsu garbage! I'll show him, the lion haired creep!

"That's a good one." Natsu said as he cracked his neck with a grin whilst I dove downwards, tucking my wings in tight. "If I'm nothing but garbage then why couldn't you take me out mister darkness?" He demanded and with Leo distracted, I swept myself around and opened my wings, giving a final yell before I swept my leg around and struck him in the side, throwing him off balance as I spun around on the ground with my weight lowered and used my powerful wing to strike him again, this time in the gut so that he flew backwards and slammed straight into a rock.

"Take that you persistent bastard." I told him with narrowed eyes, standing upright as Natsu waved his fists at me.

"What did you do that for? I totally had him right where I wanted him Fae, you need to stop interfering when I'm on a roll!" Natsu yelled to me as I turned to look back at him with an innocent blink.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you two were just playing around out here." I mused before giving a smirk. "How about you and I show this copycat poser what it really means to be a Fairy Tail wizard. You with me Natsu?" He rubbed his mouth with his sleeve, smirking back at me as he walked to my side.

"Well since you're here I guess we can work together, just don't get in my way again you got that?"

"Sure thing Natsu, whatever you say." I agreed as I spread my wings again. "Heads up." Giving him a warning I grabbed onto Natsu's jacket as Leo sent a blast of dark flames at us, making me carry us both into the air as my wings began to glow brilliant white, my magic beginning to activate with the thrill of battle. As the explosion boomed beneath us Natsu gave a grin.

"Nice save Fae, you always pull through." He said so I grinned back before I spun around and tossed him straight at Leo as Natsu clenched his fists. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" He yelled as I circled around and changed form to my Lightning Deity.

"Let's see if this will snap you back into your senses Leo, Bolt Blast!" I thrust out my hands as I skimmed the ground, lightning shooting out of my palm and struck Leo from behind, grounding him as he yelled and opened the front for Natsu's attack, the two of us hitting a full on attack however Leo quickly responded, shooting blasts of magic at the both of us so I dove behind a rock for cover, shielding myself before I flew back into the skies.

"You'll have to do much better than that if you're to stop me." Leo growled however as I was about to slice my hand for another lightning attack I heard Wendy and the others cry out, making me turn to see the three of them dropping out of the sky.

"Oh no, Wendy!"

"Wendy!" I yelled and started to fly for her but a ball of shadow struck me and I was knocked from the air, yelling as I crashed into the rock with Natsu receiving similar treatment.

"Are you looking at your hopeless little friends because you want to join them in their misery?" He demanded, blasting Natsu repeatedly and he yelled from the impacts, making me shoot up and quickly fly to him in alarm.

"Natsu!" I yelled before I flung out my wing to shield him, taking the next hit and I screamed as every single nerve was set on fire, my wing quivering before I forced myself to recover, kneeling on the ground and dragging air into my body as I watched Happy and Carla catch Wendy at the last moment, carrying her away to safety.

"Yeah, good catch." Natsu breathed with relief as I relaxed. At least Wendy was safe now.

"Release our spirits into infinite time and space, let the flames of darkness burn away our celestial prison my star bound brethren. Let the holy black light of Liberum guide us to true freedom! The time has come!" I whirled around to face Leo, my face darkening in fury as he held his hands out towards the globe as it beamed with a brilliant red.

"You're crazy Leo, this is not right and you know it!" I yelled to him as I surged forwards and aimed a kick to his gut but he leaped out of the way before I could make contact however I was quickly coming around for a lightning wing attack. "You and Lucy were so close, she saved your life and you say you don't even remember? She was going to sacrifice her own life in order to return you to the spirit world when you were trapped in the human world, she was willing to die for you!" I thundered, holding my hands at my hip as I created a ball of electricity and launched it straight at him, hitting him with everything I had and however his own dark sphere caught mine in the middle and it exploded between us.

"That life means nothing to me now, all I desire now is true freedom without these shackles that chain me to that insignificant human!" He shouted back at me, throwing a fist fused with his dark magic but I dodged with a quick movement, getting behind him and struck with a lightning foot sweep.

"I don't believe you!" Yelling as I threw back my head lightning struck from the sky, hammering into the ground and tearing it up, the rocks striking Leo directly as I landed on the ground and held out a hand directly towards him, my hair floating on a slight breeze whilst Natsu recovered from the last attack. "You and I were friends, Leo, close friends. I refuse to give up on you like this, I refuse to accept that you would just forget about Fairy Tail and everyone you used to care about. It's just not right!"

"Your pathetic whining is irritating. It's time I shut you up for good!" Leo yelled and barrelled straight for me so I caught his fists and we grappled, eyes glaring straight at one another and mine blushed red, a spike of anger leaving me feeling thoroughly hacked off. A surge of power shot through me and I felt my magic capacity begin to swell, drawing in energy from my surroundings and slowly, the flames on Loke's fist began to fizzle out, my anger and rage burning hot as he gaped. "What is this? What are you doing? This is impossible! How are you drawing out my own powers?"

"The old Loke would never have forgotten how fired up I get when someone pisses me off. Better yet, he _knew_ never to enter a fight with me, because no matter what the stakes…when it comes to protecting my friends I NEVER LOSE!" With a loud war cry I turned and threw Leo over my head, spinning around and planted my feet into a wide stance. "Angel Soul Volcanic Priestess, Lava Eruption!" My entire body became engulfed in flames, my roar filling the sky as the ground trembled beneath me and I guided my hands to push them towards Leo, aiming the full brunt of my attack on him and the ground erupted into an explosion of lava, encasing him completely and I held the attack, sustaining it around him before it dropped to the ground all at once and Leo lay twitching on the floor, staring upward helplessly as I flicked my chin towards him. "So much for human garbage." I muttered as Natsu punched the air.

"Alright! I'm all fired up now!" He cheered before running over and touching a key to Leo's head, making him disappear in a golden light which then shot up into the sky to join the other constellations, the image of a lion appearing in the sky. "That was awesome Fae, next time you and I should go head to head and see who comes out on top." Natsu grinned at me so I smiled.

"Sure thing Natsu, whatever you say." I agreed however I then turned around and looked down at my arm as the glowing cracks appeared, wincing as the line began to snake its way down my left arm before it stopped just before my elbow. Just as the crack ended, they all faded away into invisibility, not leaving a single mark on my skin so I exhaled and turned around to see the globe was still glowing.

"This doesn't make sense!"

"Natsu just closed Loke's gate after Fae kicked his butt." Carla and Happy said as they both held Wendy aloft together.

"So how is the Liberum still going?"

"This isn't going to end well." I heartily agreed with Carla as I stood at Natsu's side, the two of us glancing at each other before we turned back to the bright red lights. Should we try Natsu's general approach to things and try smashing it to pieces?

 _"Omnia…magna…stella…rex prae…"_ The sound of a woman's voice singing softly filled the air and I turned to suddenly find a massive serpent like creature with a woman sitting high above upon the crown of its head, embedded into its flesh. That's just creepy.

"Why is the snake chic belting out a tune?" Natsu demanded as she continued to sing the same thing again.

"Can you tell what she's saying?" Wendy asked as I listened to the words carefully however Happy gave his own translation, thinking of course with his hungry belly.

"Omelette, mackerel and some shell fish…"

"Still not the time to think with your stomach!" Carla objected as Happy gave a sad face.

"It's never the right time with you." He pouted as I tilted my head to the side.

"I'm pretty sure she's speaking Latin, an incredibly old language which I've studied briefly with Levy when we came across a book last year. She's better for this sort of thing but I think what the snake charmer is saying is, 'All for the King of stars'." I translated. "Or there about. Omnia means all, stella is star and rex means king." I remembered before frowning. "Though I'm not completely sure what she means by it. Does this mean that everything that's been going on is to do with the Celestial Spirit King?"

Suddenly the snake charmer turned on us, the mouth of the dragon snake opening to blast us with a thick beam of powerful light and we all quickly darted out of the way with yells. "You're out of your depth humans, don't interfere!" She yelled as I peeked out from behind my rock with a glare, seeing that the constellations were now turning red. "The time is nigh, I can feel it! You won't be waiting long my king." She was saying as Natsu rolled down the hill before hitting a rock with a thud, groaning as he rubbed his head.

"That was hard to watch man." Happy said as he walked over with me behind him.

"Yeah well it wasn't easy to do either." Natsu answered as he slowly got to his feet. "I'm almost all out of fire, I could do with a snack of some kind too. I'm starving." I shook my head. Always worried about dinner. As Wendy and Carla ran over to us I quickly looked them over.

"Wendy, Carla, are you two alright?" I asked and Wendy gave me a sweet smile.

"Yeah we're fine, thank you Fae."

"How come you never sound so worried about _us_ huh?" Happy demanded, giving me a glare so I sent one right back at him, placing my hand on my hip.

"Because you two idiots are always being reckless so I just let you do your thing, however Wendy and Carla are delicate young ladies, they weren't born with the hard heads that you two seem to have." I answered, giving a wink to Wendy and she giggled in response but our moment together was short lived as the snake woman began to cry out to the heavens once more.

"It shan't be long now comrades, very soon the shackles that bind you to this earthly plane will be severed. Your liberation is close at hand!" She cried out and I winced at the sound of her voice. Now she was starting to irritate me, could she at least cut back on the psycho talk?

"We're standing right in front of her ready to fight and she's acting like she's already won." Natsu said in irritation, cracking his knuckles however he seemed to have got the crazy woman's attention as the next thing we knew another blast was being fired straight at us so I grabbed Carla and Wendy in my arms before tossing myself to the side along with Natsu and Happy as we took cover, Wendy and Carla yelling in fear as I tucked them safely in my arms.

"You must be terrified by now." She crowed down at us as we slowly picked ourselves up however Natsu was the first one to bounce right back, turning on her with a fist.

"Stop gloating you dumb snake!" Uh Natsu? Probably not the best thing you could have said to a woman with a big pet dragon snake that could shoot cannon blasts at us.

"What a very little person you are." She noted, serving only to anger Natsu further.

"I'll kick your butt if I can find it!" Her answer was to shoot another blast directly at Natsu however his weakened state meant his flames were barely even hot, spluttering slightly as the beam channelled straight down towards him.

"Natsu no!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Natsu!" I cried out and tried to leap forwards to block the attack however someone beat me to it, lifting the great sword up and miraculously stopped the magical attack in its tracks, deflecting it from Natsu until the light disappeared. "Natsu? Natsu you're okay!" I cried out with relief and flung my arms around his neck. "You crazy pyromaniac." I said, knuckling his head affectionately as I then looked to the tall knight who had saved Natsu's butt.

"Perfect timing man." Natsu grinned to Sir Arcadios who nodded to him as he sheathed his sword.

"Natsu!" The princess of Fiore came running towards us, stopping to notice the snake charmer herself. "Wow…"

"Princess look, this must be Ophiuchus, the snake charmer spirit." Arcadios informed the princess who continued to stare upwards at the maliciously smirking woman.

"I didn't think she'd be so large." I rolled my eyes to the princess, folding my arms across my snake.

"You didn't think her butt would be a giant dragon, centipede, snake thing either, did you?" I reasoned before turning to look back up at the snake lady as she directed her focus on the princess.

"Greetings princess, I'm afraid you're too late. No one can stop me now." She crowed before beginning to sing again. "Struggle though you may to tie us down, we'll take what we desire." The princess stood before the snake charmer, her fists trembling at her sides as she spoke.

"That incantation. She's saying, Omnia, then magna, stella rex prae. All for the sake of the King of stars." She translated and I perked up slightly. Well I was more or less right with my translation, that's pretty good going for me.

"Well played, now tell us what that really means." The woman invited so we all turned to look at the princess.

"The king that you're referring to must be the Celestial Spirit King. If all this has been for the king's sake then the spirits haven't been acting for themselves. There's something more at play here, they're being manipulated." Princess Hisui informed us all before her fists clenched even tighter, her shoulders drawing back as she lifted her voice towards the snake charmer. "Is the spirit king behind this or not?"

"Of course she is." She revealed and instantly Natsu smirked.

"You know I've always wanted to go toe to toe with old nose hairs but I really didn't have a decent excuse until right now." He declared as the snake lady continued to smirk down at us viciously.

"How can you defeat my king when you are about to fall to me?" She questioned before rising upwards higher into the sky. "I am Ophiuchus the snake charmer, chosen guardian of the celestial spirit king. I am the thirteenth spirit of the zodiac, the deadly shadow of my liege!" Her hands spread wide and suddenly the light at the centre of the constellations began to glow even brighter. "Three spirits still stand strong and there is nothing you can do to stop us."

"Oh man, she's really lost it." Happy complained as a red tinged orb began to stretch out overhead.

"You're only just figuring this out Happy?" I commented as twelve gem like stones appeared in the sky, depicting each world of the zodiacs where the others must have beaten them, however two of them still contained Lucy and Yukino who were fighting against Virgo and Libra.

"Lucy's in trouble!" Natsu growled, clenching his fists as Wendy gasped.

"Yukino is too!"

"Surely there's something we can do to help?" Carla questioned however nothing immediately sprung to mind. How can we get from here to where they are? Lucy looks like she's about to have the life strangled out of her by Virgo and Yukino was trying to outrun Libra.

"But they're essentially trapped in alternate dimensions." The princess said as Natsu ignited a fist.

"Screw this!" He yelled before flying up into the air. "First I'm going to thrash this cocky snake and then I'm going to burn the moustache right of your dumb king's face!" My eyes widened as I saw Natsu going straight for the blow despite knowing that he was almost all out of fuel. The idiot!

"I warned you not to interfere and now you'll pay the price." The snake charmer informed him before her not so little pet gave a spine tingling roar, a red and fleshy tongue striking outward straight for Natsu before any of us could move.

"Look out!" Arcadios shouted before springing into action, his fast reflexes allowing him to slice through the tongue until it was chopped into little pieces, shielding Natsu again from an attack however almost instantly the tongue grew back into place.

"What the?"

"You can leave this to me." The knight told us all before beginning to duel with…with a tongue. I sure get into some weird stuff by being a member of Fairy Tail. I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them about this though.

"Hey Natsu, Fae, I think we need to focus on the belly of Ophiuchus's snake." Happy said to us and we both looked at him before turning our attention to the belly. "That glowing spot looks kind of suspicious doesn't it?" He reasoned, pointing towards a large red patch which glowed with warmth among the cold hard shell of the snake's armoured body. "The rest of the snake's body is dark and cold, you know? So if that spot is warm and bright then there's a reason why."

"Only one way to find out for sure!"

"Please don't tell me you plan on going over there and hitting it Natsu." I said despairingly with a shake of my head. "You're so out of fire you can't even produce an ember." I tried to reason with him but he turned his stubbornly determined expression on me, narrowing his eyes.

"This is one of those times when you have to stop thinking and start swinging!" He returned before pointing to the spot. "I mean just look at that thing, it's practically begging me to go over there and break it." I shook my head before giving a smirk, taking a jump back before clenching a fist.

"Alright then Natsu, it's time to power up." I said before activating my Angel Soul, closing my eyes before I spread my wings. "Volcanic Priestess, Flaming Inferno!" Suddenly my entire body became hotter than fire, burning brilliantly until I was completely made of flame, my eyes burning like golden pits as my wings crackled with snapping heat, the fire rising upwards as I stood like an angel straight from the deepest part of hell. "Eat up Natsu, let's put a fire in that belly."

"Oh yeah!" He cheered before I held my hands at my hip, forming a ball of fire before I sent the attack straight at him, pouring everything I could into it as a twister of fire burst into life and Natsu sucked it all in, chowing down before he gave a burp and smacked his lips. "That's some great fire, even better than usual. Thanks a bunch Fae, you're a life saver." He said before running straight for the glowing spot. "Now's my chance!"

Natsu flew straight at the target and pounded it with a flaming fist before he rebounded, a burst of red energy throwing him backwards so I quickly rose up into the air and caught him, still in my flame body form as crackles of red appeared over the snake charmer's body and she screamed as if in agony. "Looks like you found a weak spot." Wendy breathed as Happy stared up at the snake.

"I'll never doubt you again I swear." Happy informed Natsu as I lowered him to the ground and turned back to normal, giving a deep sigh as I hung my head to gather my thoughts together again. I've always been meaning to try that, I'm glad I got the chance. I wonder if I can do the same with my other forms. I'd love to try it out though I think that would be demanding too much magical power. Fire magic for me is pretty easy and doesn't seem to cost too much magic however the others are a little more demanding on my capabilities.

"The light you just targeted, it must have come from the organ that was maintaining the zodiac realms." Hisui realised and we all looked up to see the massive jewels begin to slam against one another, making colossal thunderclaps of sound as Happy gripped his head.

"What did you just do?!" Happy yelled in fear as the giant jewels suddenly clumped together in a disorganised mess. "This is what happens when you punch first and ask questions later! Now Yukino and Lucy are stuck in that thing!" They can't be trapped forever, there has to be a way to get them out.

"You insect! How dare you throw my creations into chaos?!" The snake woman wept but I ignored her, turning to Natsu as he grinned.

"Don't worry guys I got this." He said before widening his stance, igniting himself into a cloak of brilliant flame, _my_ flames, his yell crossing the starry heavens as suddenly the plume of fire shot upwards like a fist, making my eyes go wide as I instinctively threw out an arm to shield Wendy in case Natsu went too overboard. "Lucy! Yukino! Ground support is on the way!" He bellowed up to them before giving another roar, clapping his hands together and began to weld the dimensions into one.

"Way to go Natsu! Now that's what I'm talking about." I grinned, punching a fist in the air and watched as the constellations of Libra and Virgo appeared in the sky a deep red colour, bolts of lightning striking the ground and I quickly flung my arms around Wendy to shield her, the air tingling with static as it resonated around us.

"What the…?" The red light disappeared slowly, revealing the unconscious forms of Lucy and Yukino, the former being dressed only in her bikini.

"It looks like they made it back!" Wendy said and rushed from my arms towards them as I followed, hurrying to Lucy's side and carefully gathered her up off the ground as Carla fussed worriedly.

"Are they alright?" The princess ran forwards too and together we checked them for injuries but it looked to me like they were just exhausted. They must have had a pretty tough battle with those two eclipse spirits.

"They pulled it off…" Natsu said with relief before falling back but Sir Arcadios quickly supported his weight as I called out his name.

"Steady now." Turning back to Lucy I gave a gentle shake, brushing back her hair as I leaned her body against mine whilst Wendy held her hands.

"Come on Lucy, you have to wake up now." I urged as Princess Hisui held Yukino, trying to get her to open her eyes. When they finally stirred we all gave a sigh and smile of relief, their bleary expressions struggling to focus until Lucy managed to lock her sights on me.

"We made it?" Yukino questioned and Happy lifted his paw towards Natsu.

"You can thank Natsu for that one."

"What did he do?" Lucy asked tiredly as we all looked to the rather exhausted looking Natsu who gave a sharp toothed grin.

"It was quite impressive." Hisui praised as she continue to smile. "Natsu used his flames and fused the zodiac realms into one! That gave you and Yukino the chance to join forces." Lucy sat up straight, looking a little better and she gazed up at Natsu with a touched expression as he rubbed the back of his head before turning to Ophiuchus.

"Hey snake girl! Looks like you're the last spirit standing!" He crowed up at her and we all turned a victorious smirk at her but when she started to laugh, our faces plummeted. What now? Why is she laughing like she knows something we don't know?

"Your assistance has been invaluable, I thank you." Oh crap, she _does_ know something we don't know. Why can't the bad guys just go down after the first punch? It'll make things so much easier for the rest of us. "Shutting all those gates myself would have been quite the challenge. Thank goodness I had you. You've returned all twelve zodiac members to the celestial spirit king's grasp!"

"But…what are you talking about?" Lucy asked, getting to her feet and I held her arm to support her until I knew she was steady on her feet before I fixed my glare on the snake charmer.

"Are you saying that the celestial spirit king planned for the zodiacs to be defeated?" Hisui questioned and the toothy grin of the snake woman widened.

"He's the one who stands to gain but the plan itself was mine. The most difficult part was finding a way for the zodiac spirits from leaving the celestial plain, so I fabricated a ritual _Liberum_ , knowing that they would try to perform it and that you would stop them by sealing their gates." She revealed and I felt my body instantly go cold, the blood draining from my face. This was all planned? But for what cause?

"So you're saying that the spirits never had a chance at freedom and the whole reason they were fighting was just one big lie?" Wendy questions, a look of anger on her face.

"They were tricked into the whole thing, as were we." Carla noted and I clenched my fists at my sides. So all this time the snake charmer knew that the zodiacs weren't actually going to obtain freedom but was just pulling their strings for her own benefit? She's been playing with us all like puppets!

"The celestial globe serves as a conduit. It channels power from the constellations of the zodiacs to my king. The ritual we set out to perform is for the sole purpose to grant him the zodiac's strength. It's called the _Liberum Verus._ " She continued to explain whilst we all stood listening to her gloating tone. "The problem with _Liberum Verus_ is that it can only sacrifice spirits in the celestial plain."

"Sacrifice? But why?" Hisui demanded to know, her shoulders tensing as the snake woman tilted her head to the side in a mocking gesture.

"Becoming an eclipse spirit did endow the celestial spirit king who was already the strongest being in his world with power greater than he had ever known but it also gave him an appetite to match. Fearful of his mighty hunger the zodiac spirits attempted to flee the celestial world. They strove to be free of him but their celestial bodies pulled them back to the stars. To resist was to suffer and to give in was to die. The set up was perfect."

"The celestial spirit king was _that_ affected?" Yukino said in a quiet voice, staring up at Ophiuchus.

"So what I'm getting out of this is he's turned into a mean old lunatic that no one wants to hang out with because he's got no control of himself." Happy overviewed with one paw on his hip.

"That sounds about right to me." I agreed as Lucy looked down in shame.

"We thought we were fighting to protect the spirits but we ended up putting them into harms' way." Reaching out I placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder in reassurance, giving her a firm nod of my head.

"It'll be okay. There's got to be a way to fix this somehow. We'll save Loke and the others and put everything back to the way it was." I said before turning to the snake lady. "It's all of us against the one of her. I say we take her down then blast that globe to a million pieces, see where that takes us. I'm not about to give up on my friends, not now or ever!"

The crazy woman started to laugh towards the stars, the light form the globe intensifying as Natsu ignited his fist into flames. "Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about. Get ready for a world of pain lady, because you and your king have been asking for it!" She turned her spiteful looking gaze down on us, smirk still plastered across her face.

"You're completely out of options. There is absolutely nothing you can do to save your precious zodiacs." Her reply seemed to piss Natsu off because it was written all over his face. Happy flew forwards and together they flew upwards to face Ophiuchus.

"I don't give a crap about my options! I'm going to stop you, no matter what!" Atta boy Natsu, that's the spirit. "Listen. I got this. I can handle Ophiuchus. Take out that globe!" He ordered before soaring forwards.

"Right. Angel Soul, Lightning Deity." I began, springing forwards and my wings appeared as the rush of light spread over me, transforming my body as I then pressed it further until I was a body of pure energy, crackling bright blue with sparks jumping off my impressive wings. "Raging Storm!" Like a bolt sent from the heavens I flew straight at the globe, slamming my full power against it and I felt it shudder upon the impact before it was blown straight back at me, exploding in a harsh burst of red light which sent me flying backwards, cancelling out my form and I plummeted straight into a mountain spire with a cry of pain, smashing straight through the rock.

"Fae! Fae are you okay? Say something!" Lucy yelled after me as Wendy and Carla both gasped. I shifted then rolled my head forwards, groaning slightly as I opened my eyes to find I had made an imprint in the stone with my body.

"I'm fine. That thing is pretty strong, I threw my one of my strongest attacks right at it and still nothing." Gritting my teeth my fists clenched as I pulled myself off from the mountain and looked to see Wendy and Lucy launch a double attack at the globe but both were deflected back at them, throwing them off course whilst Ophiuchus played on her ocarina, manipulating Natsu and Happy to her will before they were both flung apart. "Natsu!"

Flinging myself forwards I spread my wings as they appeared, opening them wide before giving a firm flap to gain speed so that I could reach Natsu, snatching him from the air with my arms locked around his waist. "I gotcha Natsu."

"Nice catch Fae." He answered before a burst of powerful wind curved right for us. I gave a yell and quickly banked to the right, avoiding the strike however it followed after us, forcing me to perform evasive manoeuvres at top speed in order to keep Natsu out of the firing line. The blasts shattered rocks and they exploded behind and beside us as I evaded the attacks, struggling to keep up the pace until suddenly I felt myself being wrenched from Natsu, my limbs screaming in pain as I was twisted at an awkward angle and thrown into the solid earth, creating a massive crater.

"Oh no, Fae! Did you get hurt bad Fae? Talk to me! How many fish does it take to feed a cat?" Happy questioned me so I rolled onto my back and gave him a frown. What kind of dumb question is that? "Don't you worry about a thing, Natsu and I have got this under control!" He called before hurrying to get to Natsu once more. Sure, sure, go ahead. I'll just lay here for a moment and…wait what am I thinking? I need to get my butt back out there! Maybe I should use one of my trump cards, Sunshine Radiance or Midnight Serenity, only thing was those forms demanded such a high quantity of magical power that it'll put too much strain on my body, I can't risk it.

Getting back up slowly I shook off my trembling, noticing how rather scratched up I was looking. Around me the rocks began to crumble from the snake charmer's command so I leaped forwards, springing from rock to rock to avoid being hit before I landed on the ground before Yukino and Lucy where we all looked to see Arcadios holding off a rock to protect the princess. "Princess get out of there!" I called out as I ran forwards, seeing that the tall knight was struggling under its weight.

"Arcadios you saved me!"

"You're still…in danger…please run." He struggled, keeping the large slab of rock held high as the princess hurried from under its threatening pose, putting herself a safe distance away before she turned back to Arcadios.

"Okay, now you get out too!" She ordered but just then, his knees collapsed and the rock crushed him into the ground, a rush of dust billowing out around us all as the princess cried out in horror. "We have to help him! What do we do?!" Wendy was already sucking in a deep gulp of air so I poised ready to spring, transforming into my Sword and Shield form and my body became completely encased in metal, my features hardening to steel as I prepared to move.

"Sky Dragon…ROAR!" Her loud bellow manifested in a powerful blast of air, shattering the rock that had been crushing Arcadios and I hurried forward at that moment, swinging my spear to knock out any large chunks before they could fall back down on him. "Don't worry I can heal you." Wendy assured him as he groaned, trying to push himself upright.

"Are you…alright…princess?"

"Yes I am thanks to you but please, stop throwing yourself into danger." She worried over him as I transformed back into my regular form and helped Wendy to turn him over onto his back.

"It's okay princess he'll be fine." Wendy assured her with a mature expression as she then held out her hand and started to heal the loyal and faithful knight.

"Wendy will heal him and I'll stand guard. You three focus on destroying that globe, do whatever it takes just hurry!" I instructed, pointing towards the glowing instrument and the princess blinked before nodding her head.

"Alright." She agreed before the three of them ran off, however no sooner did they do so the globe struck out viciously with an attack that blasted them all to the ground, making me cry out their names and I felt myself tug towards them, wanting to help but my feet stayed rooted to the ground, wanting to stay to protect Wendy and the unconscious Arcadios just in case.

Turning back to Wendy I knelt down at her side, watching and praying as she continued to use her healing magic but Arcadios gave no indication that the spell was having any effect. The roar of energy was thick in my ears, the light almost blinding and I could feel all my senses set on edge by the threat that loomed ahead of us. "It isn't working, I think the light is blocking my healing magic!" She called out to everyone and I bit my lip.

"Hang in there big guy, this'll all be over soon." I promised, placing a hand on Wendy's shoulder in silent reassurance and encouragement. My vigil was interrupted when I noticed a pale green light shining just ahead of us and I looked up to see Yukino, Lucy and Hisui kneeling together holding each other's hands, eyes closed and I could see the princess's lips moving in incantation. The power of the globe intensified and I gasped under the pressure, clutching my chest as the white vein like cracks appeared on my body, furthering down my arm to my fingertips on my left side. "Hold on Wendy, you can do this!"

"If he can last then so can I!" She declared before gritting her teeth to concentrate her powers. Opening my eyes I lifted my head upwards to see Natsu powering straight at Ophiuchus in a channel of fire, powering straight into her after Happy kicked the ocarina out of her hands and pummelled her straight into a mountain. Ha. All that talk and Natsu took her out in one hit. How lame.

As the debris began to rain down upon us I lifted my hand and cast a barrier spell in my Sword and Shield form, shielding Wendy and Arcadios from the falling rocks as they smashed against the blue orb that surrounded us, keeping us protected as Wendy's magic began to take effect thanks to the globe shattering and its magic being completely destroyed because of the power of the celestial wizards and their spell.

Everything slowly died away, the light fading and even the constellations in the sky disappeared from sight one by one. "Natsu look! All the zodiac constellations are starting to disappear!" Happy celebrated as the two turned and high fived one another.

"We rule, snakes drool!" They chorused together, making me chuckle as I helped Arcadios to his feet then stood at Wendy's side as she leaned against me for support, recovering her strength as Carla stood close as well. "Talk about fireworks." Natsu mused as Lucy nodded her head slightly.

"No kidding."

"Princess, are you unharmed?" Arcadios questioned and the princess gave a serene smile, assuring him she was okay.

"We did it! We saved them!" Yukino beamed, gazing upwards as she hugged her chest to hide the fact that her clothes were ripped to pieces. In fact all three of the girls were now wearing shredded clothing and were desperately trying to hide their modesty.

"Now Loke and the other spirits will go back to normal."

"When has anything ever turned out to be that simple?" Carla demanded with her paws on her hips, glaring over at Natsu as I rubbed my face with a sigh.

"She's right." I hated to admit it but it was true. Even as I spoke the ground began to quake and a thunderous sound boomed around us, causing us all to start in alarm until we heard Gray's voice over the noise.

"Yo! What's the deal? Did we stop the ritual?" He yelled to us as he and the others approached, everyone looking unharmed.

"Hey, it's about time you showed up." Natsu deadpanned, earning a furious response from Gray.

"I've been here from the start and you know it magma breath!" He yelled as I ran forwards to Levy, flinging out my arms as Lucy smiled with gratified relief.

"You're all okay!"

"Levy! I was so worried about you!" I flung my arms around her in a crushing hug, lifting her off the ground as she laughed before I set her on her feet, not wanting to crush her ribs. There wasn't even a scratch on her. I couldn't say the same for me, of the two of us I think I definitely came off worse.

"Well you're a sight for sore eyes." She grinned at me, giving a wink before we slung an arm around one another's necks, turning to face everyone as we gathered closer.

"So did the oversized python turn tail or what?" Gray questioned and Natsu instantly grinned smugly.

"Happy and I took care of business as usual." He boasted as Happy punched the air.

"Never turn your back on the cat!" He declared before the two of them gave toothy grins at us all. I have to say, their power of destruction can't be equalled and it does have its uses. Suddenly the ground began to tear itself up, shining with a bright blue light from underneath and I quickly grabbed onto Levy, pulling her closer to keep her from falling as we all cried out and fought to keep from losing our footing as a roar echoed around us.

"Agh! Can we leave? My ears are bleeding!" Elfman complained so Cana quickly shot him a dark scowl.

"Does it look like there's a way out you wimp?" She demanded as the roar continued to echo.

"What if we used the keys?" Lucy suggested as I clamped my hands over my ears, looking at her quizzically. Keys? What keys? How are they supposed to get us home? "I don't think that's a monster roaring, I think it's the celestial spirit king." Lucy revealed and my eyes snapped open, focusing back in on the conversation.

"You're right I can feel his power!" Yukino agreed, shouting over the sound before it died away. "And it's even more intense than before!"

"The _Liberum Verus_ must have finished."

"Didn't we destroy the globe?" Arcadios questioned bluntly as things continued to quake under our feet.

"I'm afraid you didn't stop it in time." An echoing voice announced before a shimmering light appeared, revealing Horologium.

"That voice, it's the man clock!" Elfman recognised as he stood with his sister.

"How did you manage to get here?" Mirajane asked as the old grandfather clock fell to his knees, looking pretty beat up and splintered in some places.

"Help us Lucy." He pleaded, Lucy's eyes widening in horror as she moved closer.

"What's happened to you?!"

"If you don't do something the celestial spirit world will vanish forever. Take these." He invited, the glass door opening and a pile of clothes spilled out for us all to take and Lucy ran forwards to check on her spirit as Levy smiled.

"Celestial garments, nice!"

"If we're going to be in the spirit world we might as well look like we belong there." Gajeel agreed as we all stepped forwards and claimed a set of clothing each. I found a rather revealing looking top however there wasn't anything else in my size. I wasn't as curvaceous as Erza or Lucy but I wasn't completely flat like Levy. It was basically a bikini with thin straps wrapping around my neck, a dark red shade with a patterned skirt to match, the three layered ruffles sitting high on my legs as I then secured the two ruffled sleeves that went with the outfit, tightening them around my upper arms before securing back my hair with a tie.

The princess insisted on coming along with us and after we all agreed that we'd help the celestial world no matter how many centuries it took, we turned to Horologium who was beginning to glow once again. "The celestial spirit king will soon absorb the _Astral Spiritus_. This will be a bumpy ride but it will allow you to enter the celestial spirit world." He warned us all. "Make sure you are all wearing the proper garments."

"Princess." Arcadios murmured as he approached, wearing a cloak from the spirit realm. "It isn't safe to travel without your guardian, so I will accompany you."

"Thank you Arcadios." She took his hand as the blue light streamed upwards, the airwaves changing around us to shoot upwards as we all turned our eyes to the skies above.

"We'll save you soon, hold on!" Lucy called softly as I linked my fingers through Levy's, holding on tight as we began to rush upwards.

"Watch your back fuzz face because we're paying a visit!" Natsu grinned. "Real soon!"


	12. Chapter 12

When I opened my eyes I looked out on a universe of darkness and barren wastelands. Entire planets were sucked dry of life, wasted and crumbling to dust with a howling wind practically tearing me from the ground which I stood on. I was on my own however the others weren't too far away, scattered variously however we were now all looking at the most menacing figure I have ever seen.

It was like a titan, its body made of stars and celestial matter as it sucked in and consumed entire planets, making my eyes go wide as it devoured them whole then went still, the wind halting as it then smashed through another planet. No way…is that the celestial spirit king? He doesn't look anything like what Lucy described. Where's the moustache?

Shaking my head I concentrated, lowering my stance ready to attack but Erza's voice reached out to me from where she stood. "Don't even think about it young lady. You stay back and keep your guard up. Do not attempt to fight this thing." She warned me and my mouth dropped open before she then launched her own attack.

"Wait, how is that fair? Erza! I want to help you fight!" I shouted after her but as everyone combined their attacks after a rather fruitless first attempt from Gray and Juvia they threw everything they had at the titan like celestial king. It was like he didn't even feel a thing, nothing even shook him. All that power combined and not even a scratch? That was some crazy power. Why is it our enemies always have to be all powerful and almost impossible to defeat?

"Careful, I think it's about to counter attack." Erza warned, holding two blades in her hands and we all watched as the beast of a figure sucked in a belly full of air before expelling it in one booming roar, sending us all flying backwards. When the blast hit me I grunted, dropping to the ground and slid over the rocks before I hit a group of them jutting out from the ground, allowing me to root myself down as I withstood the attack. "Don't falter now, keep up the pressure." Erza ordered and everyone chorused back in answer.

I grit my teeth in irritation, fidgeting on the spot as Erza's order kept me grounded. I couldn't disobey otherwise she'd kill me, but then again I can't just sit back and do nothing. As I watched, Gray and Juvia leaped into the air however the eclipse king pointed his finger at Juvia, a red beam of light blasting straight at her and she was transcended into the stars, making us all stare in horror as her voice echoed softly around us, the image of her appearing in a new constellation and Gray's distraught yell rang in my ears.

Before anyone could react Cana, Elfman and Mirajane all sprang at the eclipse king only to receive the same treatment, their imagines appearing in the skies as a pattern of stars and I stared with tears in my eyes, my heart beginning to shiver in fear. He can do that? What kind of magic is that? Spinning around I turned in time to see Pantherlily get turned into a constellation, dropping Gajeel onto a planet where Levy then shoved him out of the way, sacrificing herself. "No! LEVY!" I screamed, a tear slipping down my face. This can't be. They can't be gone! "Okay, _screw_ this. I'm going in with everything I've got, I'll make him _drag_ Levy and the others back out of the skies or pummel him until he brings them back!"

Thundering in anger I rose up into the sky, my body glowing as my wings appeared in their pure white glory, my eyes narrowed at the eclipse king. "Sky Dragon…ROAR!" As I flew forwards my eyes widened and I reached out a hand, making to push Wendy and Carla out of the way as the spirit turned on them with a red glowing finger.

"Carla, Wendy, look out!" I tried to get to them but I was too late, Wendy's scream echoing hauntingly in my mind as I pulled up short just as they disappeared then flapped my wings once with all my might, yelling as I veered around in an arc to avoid the beams as he began to fling them out in a large multitude, forcing me to back off until I was a safe distance away.

"Now I'm pissed." I growled, closing my eyes before they opened blood red, a dark power surging inside me. "He's going to pay for hurting my friends. I swear, he'll pay!" Flinging out my hands a rush of dark energy carried over me, my tumultuous roar echoing through the chasm of the spirit world as my wings folded over me, hiding my body from view as they grew in size and strength, darkening in colour until they were an oily black, ripped and smoking with dark power as I took control of the one form I had sworn never to use.

 _Yesss…accept your fate. You are weak without me._

No you're wrong. Because this time, _I'm_ the one in control.

I felt her shock vibrate through me as my bellow intensified, opening up my magical container to allow a deeper wealth of magic energy to surge within me, accepting more and more of the dark magic as my image changed until finally, I swept back my wings to reveal myself to everyone below and they openly stared. " _Angel Soul. Black Heart_." I snarled in a deep voice, focusing in on the eclipse king.

"I've never seen such a form before." Erza whispered as Gajeel lifted his head.

"Hey I've seen that form once, you gotta be careful with that one. It might not be Fae who's in control." Oh I'm in control alright. Because it was _my_ choice to bring out this form. This is my power that I've used to summon it, not my pesky little demon that sits at the back of my mind. My tongue flickered through my fangs as I lifted a hand, my massive wings spread wide open as a sphere of black and dark purple energy gathered at my palm.

"Sin of Wrath." I spoke before blasting my attack forwards, the loud boom humming in my ears as my blanket of silky black hair rippled around me, the channel of energy powered straight into the eclipse spirit king's gut, making him jerk backwards slightly a step and a smirk curled on my lips. Gotcha.

My wings gave a thunderclap of sound and I flew forwards with intense speed, moving like a shadow to circle around behind the eclipse king before my wings drew back and a putrid ripple rose from my feathers as darkness gathered along the edges of my wings. "Sin of Pride." With a flap of my enormous wings two streams of darkness hammered against the back of his head, forcing it forwards and there was an enraged roar in response as I flew around, the mechanical hiss of my movements surrounding me.

I turned in the air and wove through its legs, making it punch the planet it stood on so that it shattered and I quickly turned coarse and slammed against it with all my might, giving a roar as I did so with a blanket of darkness around me. "Sin of Envy." A fist was swung at me but I was out of the way in a heartbeat, eyes still glowing bright red, so bright that as I moved they left a slim trail as I moved.

A snarl rippled from my throat as I arced through the sky, spreading my hands wide as if in a summersault before I tucked in my wings and took a nose dive straight for the eclipse king however before I could land my attack, body pulsing with blackness, it turned its red attack on Lucy and instantly my course changed. "Lucy! Look out!" I cried and quickly overtook the red line, everyone calling out our names as I whipped around and spread my wings, holding it off with their powerful strength as Lucy cowered behind me.

"Fae no! You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me, we need your strength now more than ever!" She cried out as I growled, holding out my hands as I tried to maintain my barrier, the magic flowing from me in a thick rush like a ravine that had been swept into a tidal wave. The lines brightened along my body, reaching up past my jaw and clawing towards my lips as I turned back and gave Lucy a weak smile.

"Fairy Tail never leaves a friend behind." I said before the light exploded right in my face and with a cry of pain which electrified every nerve in my body I felt myself being transferred from a physical being into that of matter and light. It was like being in a dream, not fully awake yet asleep enough to be peaceful. It was rather relaxing though I could feel heat rushing through my arm and the left side of my chest and neck from where the splits had continued to form. Guess I'd overdone it with my Black Heart form.

An ocean of stars was washing around me, spinning me into a world of starlit dreams until after what felt like an eternity, I felt myself being pulled back down to the earth. It was a strange sensation, like your soul was being pulled back to your physical body. I lay down flat as I descended, my form still my Black Heart appearance however a golden glow engulfed me and my appearance fizzled away into dust, replaced with the clothes I had worn to the spirit realm.

When I was finally able to open my eyes I found myself laying on an extravagant bed under a stone pavilion, tulle drapes fluttering slightly in a non-existent breeze. Blinking I sat up, my hair tumbling over my shoulder as I turned my head and looked out to the world outside only to lose my breath. It was the most breath taking sight I had ever seen, a surreal world transcending all imagination.

The skies were full of planets and stars, bubbles also rising from a place unknown down below as the glittering aura of celestial magic filled the air, filling my mind with a silent awe as I openly stared. So this was the celestial spirit realm. It was even more magical than I remembered. "Fae! Fae!" I heard my friends calling out my name so I turned my head to see everyone running towards me, Levy and Lucy in the lead and waving their hands to me with bright smiles. They're all back! That's good, that means we're all safe.

"Everyone…you're alright." I breathed tearfully, brushing aside a stray drop as it trailed down my face. Everyone looked so vibrant and beautiful, smiling broadly as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and made to run to them but the moment I put weight on my feet I collapsed, my knees buckling beneath me and I clutched my chest over my heart as it gave a painful stab like it had been pierced by a hot knife.

"Fae! What's the matter? Why're you glowing like that?" Natsu demanded to know, staring down at me as I looked at my hand, turning it over to see the cracks on both sides.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it Natsu." I lied, giving him a smile as I tried to get back up but Erza quickly shoved a hand against my shoulder and I landed back on the bed, sitting there as Lucy and Levy flung their arms around me.

"You're insane Fae! You couldn't been trapped as a constellation forever because of me!" Lucy wailed, crushing me into her until I could hardly breathe with Levy clutching me close as well. "How are you feeling? The cracks are getting worse, what can we do? There has to be something we can do to stop this." Lucy reasoned as Levy pulled back to examine my hand closely.

"I've been looking through all the books I can get my hands on that might be help but I haven't come across any cases even remotely related to yours, let alone come up with a cure." Levy said to me as the others all scratched their heads.

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on? Why is she glowing like that?" Gray demanded however before I could answer, Loke stepped forwards, walking towards us with a dark look in his eyes.

"Maybe you should ask Natsu." He suggested accusingly, making the pink haired pyromaniac blink in dumbfounded confusion.

"Me? What do I know? All I know is that Fae is glowing for some reason." Instantly I was on my feet, standing in front of Lucy and Levy as I faced Loke with a burning look.

"Loke, don't. Don't do this." I pleaded with him though the tone of my voice was threatening. Wendy looked particularly worried as Loke fixed his accusing glare on Natsu who retaliated by cracking his knuckles, lowering his stance ready to fight.

"Dude, what's your problem? Why're you acting all weird all of a sudden?" Natsu wanted to know, gritting his teeth slightly as Loke pointed his finger at him.

"You're the reason Fae is dying, if it weren't for you then she wouldn't be running out of time and crumbling to pieces bit by bit!" He yelled however as I saw him clench a fist and activated his Regulus Impact, aiming to strike out at Natsu so I moved quickly, bunching up the muscles in my legs and pushed off the ground with all my strength, ploughing into Loke who grunted at the impact and together we went flying backwards, striking the ground and rolling until I had him pinned beneath me.

"Enough! This doesn't concern you Loke, you have no right to say those things!" I yelled down at him angrily, planting my fists into the ground either side of his head as he stared up at me with his beautiful eyes. I seethed slightly in rage, glaring down at him before I took a deep breath and relaxed, the lights fading from my skin as I then slowly climbed off his torso and knelt beside him. "Just don't. It's not worth the pain. I don't want to go leaving behind too many scars." I murmured as Loke sat up, his hand reaching out for my shoulder but I drew it back out of his reach instinctively, hurt flashing in his eyes at my response.

"Fae I…I want to help. Please let me help you." He whispered to me as the others slowly crept closer, the other spirits keeping their distance and I was all too aware of the presence of the spirit king as he watched over us with a curious countenance.

"There's nothing that can be done Loke, just accept it. I'm happy I was allowed more time so I'm not going to waste it." I promised him though I couldn't bring myself to smile about it. "Sometimes we just have to grow up and face reality. There's no way around it so I'm not going to fight it anymore. I'm tired of fighting and struggling." Turning to face him I managed a shaky smile before I got up and turned away.

I didn't get very far in my walk back to the others as Loke suddenly leaped to his feet and ran after me, grasping my wrist and pulling me around to face him with a determined expression set in stone on his features. "I'm not giving up on you Fae, I won't let you give up like this!" He told me firmly and my eyes widened, staring at him as my body began to glow with a golden warmth, my legs beginning to disappear but Loke held on, changing grips so that he was holding my hand. "When I faced my own demise you wouldn't let me go without a fight, so I'll find an answer even if I have to search the furthest part of the universe for it. I _refuse_ to let you disappear."

His words echoed in my mind as his face began to disappear, my hand fading from his grasp as the spirit king returned us to earth before too much time was lost. The warmth of Loke's touch still burned my hand as I appeared before the guildhall, still slightly bewildered and star struck by everything that had happened. So much had transpired in such a short amount of time that I wasn't sure what to do with myself. It was only when Levy placed her hand on my shoulder did I awake from my daze.

"Hey. How about we go get some ice cream?" She suggested and I blinked at her for a moment before nodding my head, a relaxed and affectionate smile touching my lips as she slipped her arm though mine and Lucy took the other.

"Ice cream sounds great, I'm starving." She agreed as we grouped together.

"Yeah ice cream! I want some too, count me in!" Natsu yelled, leaping up into the air and spitting fire in his excitement, making us all laugh as Happy declared he wanted fish flavour.

"Hmm…ice cream sounds like an excellent idea. I think I shall also join you in this venture. We will order the creamiest and most delicious ice cream there is ever to be had in all of Fiore!" Erza decided rather patriotically, making me giggle again as Juvia cuddled up to Gray's arm.

"What do you think my love? How about you and I get some ice cream together, just the two of us, won't that be romantic?" She suggested but Gray rolled his eyes with a slight shudder.

"You're acting all creepy again." He complained but joined with us all the same, Elfman hammering his fists in the air as he declared ice cream a manly snack. Levy somehow managed to drag Gajeel along with us as Wendy and Carla jogged after us, waving her hand as she called for us to wait for her, Lily walking rather severely along beside her though when I mentioned that today would be kiwi flavour at the ice cream parlour, he was immediately more motivated to try some of the best ice cream in all of Fiore.

It was fun, hanging out with all my friends, watching Natsu get a brain freeze as he ate too much ice cream all at once when he challenged Gray to a race was definitely something to laugh about. Surrounded by the people I love with the food I love most in the world, I was easily able to forget all about my worries and troubles, settling into peace as the sunset began to streak across the city.


	13. Chapter 13

My wings gave rhythmical beats against the air as I hovered, reading through a book which I levitated in front of me whilst taking notes at the same time, facing a huge wall filled with books, scrolls and reports which had gathered centuries of dust. Most of them were sealed away with an enchantment however it had been simple enough to unlock, in fact I had only needed to touch the magical keypad and it opened for me, seemingly responding to my magic.

The ancient city was in a much worse state of repair in comparison to all the others I had visited thus far, however the Arc of Time spell that Ultear had given me aided to mend things enough so that I could read them. I had even fixed up parts of the city, so perhaps one day it could be reopened as a place of study and learning once more.

However, almost exactly like all others, the city was situated high above the world on one of the tallest mountains closest to the heavens. To reach it I had had to fly out over the ocean, passing several different countries though with my Sunlight Serenity form, it was no trouble at all since I could travel close to the speed of light.

What troubled me, however, was the fact that I was not finding any new information on the Hand of Satan or Primordial Magic. It was beginning to irritate me. I had studied and searched for months, years even, yet now I was stuck in this rut with nothing new to go on. The most I had been able to achieve was descriptions of the Hand itself. "Still nothing." Closing the book with a sigh I directed it back to itself before I flew up, searching along the shelves further.

It was a little lonely in this place since the mountain was barren and nothing even breathed up here save for the wind, so I felt completely isolated. What was even more unnerving was the thousands of statues that peered down at me, angels carved from pure white marble. They were big, small, elaborate, simple, overpowering or humble looking, they came in all different shapes and sizes. The more of the city I restored, the more angels appeared to watch me with seemingly suspicious glares.

Giving up on this particular wall I dropped to the ground, my wings disappearing as I then walked forwards, deciding to try the next part of the city. It might take some time before I could get through this entire place, however I could sense that there was something hidden here. There was a faint taste of magic in the air which seemed to call to me, however whenever I got close to it I would find myself at a dead end, facing a blank wall and the feeling would disappear. It was greatly confusing. "Maybe I should have asked Levy to come. Or Lucy. Or both." I sighed softly as I glanced up, reading some of the symbols on the walls which seemed to translate themselves naturally in my mind. "Or everyone. Some company would have been greatly appreciated by this point. Even Natsu would do."

Sniffing the air I found that sensation of being drawn toward something return so I stopped, analysing it carefully. It was so subtle that even with my sharp senses I could miss it, but now that I had noticed it seemed to grow stronger. Without even realising I was walking forwards, turning down a corridor which led to a flight of stairs so I descended, keeping my eyes closed to fixate on that feeling.

"Rather intriguing, isn't it?" A soft yet cheery voice questioned in my ear and I yelled sharply, throwing myself back with my screech as my eyes flew open and I stared at the First Master, Mavis Vermillion.

"First! What on earth are you doing here? How are you even…? Never mind." I sighed, clutching my chest as my heart hammered loudly against my ribs, recovering from the shock of her suddenly appearing. She giggled sweetly, standing right in front of me with her youthful face glowing ever so slightly in the dimness of the stairwell.

"Since you are here and bear the Fairy Tail mark, I am able to be here with you and I thought you might like the company, so here I am!" She cheered, throwing her hands up into the air with a jump of celebration. "Let's go treasure hunting!" I blinked at her dumbly as she began to skip down the stairs, humming to herself so I hurried to chase after her.

"Wait, Master Mavis!" Running to catch up with her I fell into step beside her, glancing her way as her huge waves of pale blonde rippled with each step. "Do you know anything about this place, Master?"

"Nope! When I heard all about your little research project I thought it sounded lots of fun, so I decided to join you on this little adventure. You know, my friends from the very first generation of Fairy Tail were previously treasure hunters before they became wizards." Mavis said to me and I smiled softly, nodding my head.

"Yes I know, I read the history of the guild in library. It was one of my favourite books to reread." I murmured and Mavis beamed up at me.

"I'm glad! It is good that the young ones of the guild take interest in its past so that they know their roots." We continued walking along, the faint pull fading and thriving in intervals until it had almost disappeared completely. "This magic, I sense it is harmless however it seems to want to be both found and left alone."

"You can sense it too?" I looked to her in surprise. "I thought you were just a spirit."

"Of sorts. More like an apparition." She giggled, sticking her tongue out at me before suddenly becoming serious once more, her footsteps halting as we both faced the same wall. Of all the city that lay in ruins, this one part underground had remained untouched by time. There was certainly something at play here and it irritated me to no end that I could not quite put my finger on it. "Anyway, this wall seems to be hiding the truth. All we must do is pass through it."

"I've tried everything already Master Mavis. Any attacks just get absorbed, even my most powerful attempts. I tried breaking through, digging under and searched everywhere for a secret lever but I never find…"

"Here it is!" Mavis chirped as she pressed a completely random point of the wall and instantly it shifted, beginning to shiver as dust fell from above and engraved markings began to carve itself into the stone, forming a magic circle which then glowed softly. "Very interesting. According to my calculations, the next step will be to offer something in order to earn the right to pass. My guess that it will require blood." The cleverness of the master was something that still astounded me.

"You're right. The inscriptions say that blood must be offered in order for it to be judged. If it is pure, it will allow us to pass. If not then we shall be destroyed." With a sigh I lifted a hand back and drew a katana partially from its sheath, pausing a moment before I purposefully sliced my hand on the sharp blade before I stepped towards the wall. "I know I am not pure blooded, but I think it means it will read my intentions. At the very least, it should accept the angel blood running through my veins."

"My calculations agree." Mavis nodded her head, watching me with focus as I slowly reached out and pressed my hand to the centre of the circle, smearing my blood over the softly glowing patterns before I drew back and waited, my heart beating loudly but slowly in my chest as I prepared to move, anticipating the worst.

The blood became absorbed into the wall, for a brief moment leaving everything in silence before I bright hum sounded and the light intensified, forcing me to shield my eyes until I heard a deep booming sound like trumpets which caused my ears to split open from the intensity. I gave a yell, trying to cover my ears at the same time as a searing pain overtook me. Was this rejection? Was the magic of this place now turning against me because it found me unworthy? "Fae!" I heard Mavis's voice echoing in my head. "You must pass through, otherwise you shall not be able to return. Just walk into the light, do not be afraid."

"Easy for you to say!" I yelled back before I took a deep breath and dropped my hands to my sides, taking a moment to calm myself. It's alright, everything will be fine. You'll get through this just like everything else. You have to because there are people waiting for you back home, they'll be expecting you to come back and you cannot disappoint them. Not now. "Alright. I'm ready." Taking my first steps forwards I slowly opened my eyes, feeling the blinding white light burn into my orbs until finally, I passed through the barrier and all at once things settled.

It was seemingly swallowed by darkness, making me flinch slightly at the sharp contrast before my eyes adjusted. Behind me was an archway guarded by an archangel figure moulded into the door, palms spread outward in beckoning but I turned away to look further ahead. I stood in a large cavern, rivers of golden veins from ore scratched into the rocks however they glowed with a strange thrum of magical power, leading towards a river of radiant liquid which I approached with caution.

"This place, it's so beautiful." Mavis murmured softly as she appeared by my side. "Look up, Faerie." I did so and instantly I saw the cavern ceiling was filled completely with crystals of various sizes and shapes, gleaming in reflection of the gold however as the breeze moved through them they sang enchantingly, a soft musical breath which caused me to smile and bask in the surreal gentleness which eased the memory of pain. "Do you know where we are?"

"No, but I wish I did." I murmured as I began to take the steps slowly, looking around me in readiness to react to attack however nothing came at me, everything remaining tranquil and peaceful like a small haven of sanctuary. "I have never heard of this place." Mavis walked behind me, nervously glancing around and stuck very close for protection so I naturally reached out and took her hand, sending her back a mature and comforting smile. "Do not worry Master, I can protect you." She stared at me for a moment before smiling back, finally relaxing.

"I have no doubt of your strength, Fae, you have grown much since you first came to us. You should be very proud of all you have achieved." Nodding my head in thanks I continued downward, the stairs leading us deeper and deeper into the cavern where the crystals continued to harmonise with gentle voices, always quiet and ethereal. "I sense magical power up ahead."

"Yes, it is drawing me towards it." I murmured quietly, eyes becoming slightly entranced as we reached the last of the steps and stood before a lake of moving gold, the brightness of it shimmering gloriously with the radiance of a smile of happiness, filling me with the sense of joy just by looking upon it. Lifting my eyes gradually I saw a small island at its centre of barren ground, the soil cracked and dry however the closer to the centre you looked, grass began to grow until finally it was lush and healthy, however that was not what stole my attention.

"I do not believe it." Mavis whispered, staring alongside me. At the very centre of the island was a small bush standing upon a single branch, yet it burned with a glorious white fire. "The burning bush from biblical history. The vessel which communicated to Moses with the voice of God." Somehow I was unable to speak, all thoughts tumbling from my mind as I instinctively moved towards it. "Wait! You'll drown!" Mavis squeaked but the moment my feet touched the golden ripples, they settled and quietened, allowing me to walk upon them as they formed a flat surface for me to walk on, golden ribbons snaking their way into the shape of a bridge as I continued to focus ahead.

The burning bush…I did not understand how but it was _calling_ to me. I could hear a faint voice in my mind, ever so gentle and inviting, quieter still than the singing crystals. What was this? Those flames felt so familiar, so welcoming, as if they were the flames that lit the hearth of my home. I reached out a hand towards them, yearning to touch as the voice called a little louder but never rose above a whisper, echoing in my mind in several voices.

Just before my fingertips could brush against the flames, they burst into a bright inferno, the bush blazing and I quickly leaped backwards to avoid being burnt, however even as the raging white fire blazed I did not feel its heat, only an inviting warmth which bathed me in reassurance and comfort, melting away all my concerns and worldly worries.

Within the flames images began to blur but they were so clear in my mind as a voice whispered also, however even though I could hear it, I could not understand the language spoken and almost the moment they spoke I forgot their words. I could not even tell you if it were male or female as the two contradictions of clarity burned into my head. Images of things which made no sense to me stuck firmly in my mind, engraving them into my very soul until they were locked away for safekeeping and soon enough I began to feel the strain.

I collapsed to my knees, struggling for breath as I cried out, gasping before releasing an involuntary scream, sweat streaking across my body as my fingers curled into the ground and broke the dry surface of the soil, my lungs burning as my mind felt like it was being split apart like a hot furnace.

 _"Faerie. Faerie..."_ A voice whispered and I managed to look up, seeing the flames shift to surround the visage of a terrifyingly beautiful woman, her angelic qualities striking fear into my heart as she looked down at me. _"Be not afraid child, be not afraid."_ Again I could not discern the voice, however this time the words remained with me. Be not afraid.

My eyes widened as I stared at her, the white flames framing her in a petrifying serenity, hair flowing like a river of white as golden eyes blinked at me, a smile of love causing me to feel a little more comforted. _"Be. Not. Afraid_." She lifted her hands to her lips and blew softly, causing a light wisp of light to swirl within her grasp before she then spread it over me and instantly I felt my body calm, the sweating disappearing and my mind went into a trance like state as she began to fade into the fire.

"No wait…come back!" She was so warm and beautiful, I did not want her to go. I stretched out my hand towards her however she continued to fade from sight, leaving behind only an imprint of her image which quickly fell from memory without my consent. "No!"

"Fae, Fae what is wrong? What happened?" Mavis was shaking me and my eyes flew open, finding myself flat on my back staring upwards. I blinked then looked to the master who hovered over me with concern wrought in her eyes. "You suddenly collapsed and started to scream. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I said, starting to sit up as I touched my head, rubbing it slightly before I climbed to my feet. Looking around I found I had somehow returned to the city. I was standing in the main library, though I was certain I had not been there a moment ago.

"What happened, did you see something?" I stopped, hand halting next to my head as I tried to think, however much to me horror, I could not remember anything. My mind was blank, as if someone had washed through my memories and erased them to keep them from me. A clean slate.

"I do not know." Suddenly the lacrima in my bag began to bleep, signalling that someone was trying to contact me. I could still receive signal up here? Amazing. I pulled it out and the image shifted, swirling into shape within the orb until I was faced with Master Makarov. "Master, is there something wrong? You look troubled." I noted, the lines of his brow being furrowed and his jaw was tightly clenched.

"There has been a disturbance concerning the Magic Council. They have been completely eradicated." My jaw drop as my stomach dropped without warning.

"What?!"

"You are needed here, child, come home immediately. War is at hand. Not only have the current council been eliminated but previous members are being targeted also one by one. It appears a new threat has arisen and several of us have already been taken. Erza. Mirajane and Lisanna. Natsu has gone after them, but I fear that we will need your strength also."

"I am on my way Master, it'll only be a few moments. Just hold on." Nodding my head I put the lacrima crystal away, taking a deep breath before I opened my eyes with determined focus. Whoever kidnapped Erza and the others will pay. I will not tolerate anyone hurting my dear friends or threatening the guild. I shall tear them to pieces before I allow such things to happen. "Take Over, Sunlight Serenity." Instantly my body changed, glowing radiantly however as the sun began to sink towards the horizon, my golden light began to change colour into that of a sunset, my toes and feet beginning to amber red. I do not have much time, if I am to get there soon I must leave now whilst I still have the light.

"Good luck, young one." Mavis murmured to me before she disappeared, leaving me with a smile which I returned before shooting into the sky.

Once I cleared the city I spread my wings, holding out my hands to absorb the sun's rays, storing up energy from the light. When in this form I depended on light as it would convert the intensity into magical power which I then used to charge up my attacks. Its zenith of power was at midday, when the sun was at its peak, however the later it grew the less powerful I would be unless I had stored energy previously.

Once I had sufficient magical power I flashed forwards, blazing across the ocean in a streak of light which appeared and disappeared consecutively in a flash, almost impossible to view with the naked eye save for the after effects of my presence, a stream of light which followed behind me. Like light, I was soundless, wings humming as they remained spread wide open.

The light continued to sink and I felt myself become heavier, slowing down bit by bit but as ocean exchanged for land, I closed in on Magnolia and then the guildhall, giving one last push before I dropped to the ground and released the magic form, allowing it to fade away as I skidded to a halt right outside. "Now that is timing. Flawless." I murmured with a smirk before I darted inside, throwing open the door. "Master! What is going on?!"

"Fae! You're back!"

"Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Yeah! With Fae back, we stand a way better chance of beating those bastards!" Several voices cried out in relief as I strode inside, eyes narrowed darkly as the breeze rippled through my hair and robes until I faced the master.

"Fae, I am glad you returned so quickly. We are in desperate need of everyone's help." He murmured, however before he could go any further Levy suddenly shouted, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"I've pinpointed the location of the enemy! We've found them!" She yelled and there was a collective gasp from the guild.

"Well done!"

"Right above us!" She pointed and just as people began to celebrate, they fell flat on their faces in shock horror. Who were right above us? This was making me very uneasy. Councilmen being murdered, Erza and the Strauss sisters missing, Natsu also gone, this was enough to make me feel a deep sensation of dread inside my gut. My instincts were on fire and I knew that my instincts were never wrong.

"They're right above us?!"

"There's no mistaking it, when Happy escaped they were in the vicinity of our border with Bosco, judging from their speed and direction of travel, right now they're above Magnolia!" How could Levy remain so calm sounding despite the fact that our enemies were now directly above us.

"Looks like they came to us." Gajeel murmured as I cracked my knuckles, eyes blushing red as I grit my teeth.

"Makes things easier for us." I growled and we nodded at one another, ready for a kickass fight. Despite my condition I was going to give it my all. If the master had deemed it necessary to call me back despite knowing my ailment then it had to be serious. If it were serious then I would just have to fight harder than I had ever fought before. I cannot afford to hold back if my family was at risk.

"Let's go save Natsu and everyone else." Lucy said to Happy who nodded his head determinedly.

"Aye!"

"Let's go!" Gray yelled and everyone roared in answer, however just as they began to move towards the doors I suddenly froze in place, a sinking feeling overtaking me, even more powerfully than before. What? An eerie sense made my spine tingle, however before I could question it I suddenly heard Cana's voice yell behind us.

"Turn into cards!" Suddenly I felt a sticking sensation, as if I had been flattened against a page into a thin sheet, which in every sense I had. I blinked, looking up at the word before I was pulled back into Cana's hands as she pulled everyone into a deck of cards. "There are injured people and idiots too, this is the only way." I heard her say. "Salvage all the cards with you! Happy, Carla, Lily! The guild is about to blow up, escape from here and attack them!" Cana ordered and my eyes widened. Blow up?

Sure enough as I was carried upwards in the form of a card I heard a deep, rumbling boom from the earth below as our beloved guild was blown to rubble. Those bastards! Now they're going to pay. People should really learn that destroying our guild is one sure way to piss off a fairy. "I'm freeing you all from the cards, let's go!" Just as suddenly as I had been turned into a card I felt myself snap back into my normal self, instantly leaping forwards along with the others. "Fairy Tail in action!"

We all surged forwards as a guild and I felt the adrenaline surge within me like a thrill as enemies closed in on us, people in thick hoards clamping down so I leaped up into the air, spreading my arms before I summoned my regular wings then drew my swords, using them to cut through each figure as a means to reserve my magic for when it would be sorely needed.

It didn't seem to matter how many we disposed of, however, as they seemed to keep on coming endlessly. "How many are there?!" Jet yelled as Droy struggled to stay on his feet, panting for breath. Three of the enemy men came up behind them, springing into the air to take them down from above however my shadow fell over them.

"I don't think so." I growled, unamused by their sneak attack then swiftly sent them flying with a single kick which swept across them. Satisfied I looked down at Jet and Droy as they gulped. "Do not lose focus. Keep up the teamwork!" With that said, I flit away, darting in a zigzag shape as I took them down in thick hoards, giving a determined yell before I landed on the ground once more, giving my wings a flap as I looked down to find Laxus and the Thunder Legion all unconscious on the ground. "What the heck happened?!"

"They were attacked by some guy when they were working at one of the councilmen's cafes." Romeo called out to me in answer, putting up a strong fight as I continued to keep the enemies away from the injured. "The guy released some sort of black particle matter and Laxus had to inhale it all to keep it from affecting the village. They're all injured from the fight." Laxus, you stupid boorish idiot. Who knew you were such a softie on the inside?

"HAVEN'T YOU FOUND A PASSAGE YET?" Master Makarov bellowed thunderously, however just at that moment the ground cracked, rumbling slightly before all at once it exploded.

"The ground is…"

"Erza!" I spun around and looked up as Erza shot out from the hole she had created, her eyes battle hard as she pursued after her opponent, currently winded from the powerful blow she had sustained. With the huge crater now formed in the cube face of the floating fortress, we now had our opening. "You're okay!"

"Everyone!" Erza gasped before she dropped to the ground, the gravity pulling her in as we stood with our heads directed downwards towards the city. "What's going on here?"

"Sorry there's no time to explain, we need to get inside through that hole Erza made!" Gray yelled sensibly, looking back at the rest of the guild who saluted with an aye.

"Natsu and Lisanna are okay. All that's left are Mira and Elfman…"

"I'll handle the rest." Elfman growled severely before he jumped into the hole with the others following suit. "I'll bring big sis back safely!" Erza smiled and I paused at the edge with Lucy, looking back just as she was suddenly trapped by strange bindings which flung her upwards.

"Erza!"

"Don't worry about me, go!" She ordered with a yell, facing her opponent who had recovered without our realising. "Face's seal has been released, find a way to stop it!" Face? What she was talking about? I think I need to be filled in on a few missing details, this is all just a little more than simple confusion. Wendy and Lucy jumped into the opening with Carla and Happy flying them down, however I remained with the wounded, watching over them all.

I knelt down by Laxus's side, reaching out to touch his brow to find he was burning up and so slick with sweat that he was creating his own lake. The others were just as bad and it made me twinge with hurt to see the Thunder Legion in such a state. They were always so invincible in my eyes, I disliked the fact that someone had hurt them. "Don't worry." I murmured softly to Laxus as I used a cloth to wipe his brow. "You're all safe now, I'm here to protect you all." I reassured them before standing up, facing the last of the army that had come to take us down.

There were still hundreds of them however the rest of the guild were out of breath, struggling on their feet as they attempted to block their path, however as I calmly walked forwards to face them all, I lifted an arm. "Everybody, leave this to me. I shall deal with this, you should all go inside and try to take this fortress down from the inside. Contact the Master if you run into anybody who causes you too much trouble and we'll deal with them." I informed them all, narrowing my eyes in focus.

"Are you crazy? You can't deal with them all by yourself!" Max shouted over to me as Laki chimed in with agreement.

"That's just suicide!" A smirk touched my lips as the army of berserker soldiers continued to race directly for us, their lolloping tongues panting as their eyes fixated on their targets. There was no way I was going to allow any of my friends to get even more hurt, they were exhausted enough as it was. I'll protect them this time, just a small portion of my magical power should be enough to take care of these puppets.

Without warning I flung out my arm, the light enshrouding me with a swirling rush as my hand curled around the staff of my spear, twirling it effortlessly as my golden armour encased me. Sword and Shield, my best form for simultaneously defending and protection. I activated a shield wall around the guild, locking them inside where any attacks from behind bounced off harmlessly, bringing myself to the main centre of attention. "Fae! You're crazy, let us help you!"

Softly smiling, I narrowed my eyes. "This is what you get for messing with Faerie of Fairy Tail." I murmured before all at once, I buried the spearhead into the ground, causing a burst of light to explode outwards as the rush of magical energy blasted across the entire lower surface of the flying fortress, ripping up the ground as I stood perfectly still, the rush of air making my white overcoat flare as my guild stood unaffected due to my barrier protecting them, however they watched in awe as the light swallowed each of the berserker soldiers and vanquished them all, turning them to ash from the highly concentrated energy of my attack. It was almost too easy.

I hummed softly under my breath as I withdrew my spear, releasing it along with my form so that II stood in my ordinary garb once more, turning as I allowed the barrier to drop, walking towards my guild mates with a soft smile. "Is everybody alright?" I questioned, however they merely nodded their heads with dumbfounded looks until the Makarov shouted at them all.

"Don't just stand there, get moving! Take over this fortress piece by piece, hurry up you brats!" He thundered and instantly everybody jumped into motion, their morale lifted as they yelled and jumped down into the hole ready to face a full on battle. "Fae, you will remain here and protect the wounded with Porlyusica."

"Yes master." I bowed my head, accepting my orders as the herbalist grumbled under her breath.

"You kids are all so reckless. You're going to get yourselves killed one day." She spoke harshly but I had learned over time that that was simply how she showed her affection. Approaching the wounded I transformed, my Healer's Grace drawing forth my healing abilities before I knelt down beside Evergreen. "Easy now, they're still unstable."

"I'll be careful." I promised as I took a deep breath then held my hand out over her. "Cleansing Impurity." My voice thrummed with life as the golden aura surrounded us both, my hands feeling warm and tingly as I reached into Evergreen's body and began to annul all the particles which were draining her body. I had told a small white lie to Wendy back in that sky temple, my healing ability was very good but it had drawbacks. She had a wider diversity of healing abilities, however what little I could do was something that she might not be able to access just yet. With my Angel Soul, I was able to cancel out darkness completely, which was what was needed here, however it wasn't quite as effective as I'd hoped it be considering the large quantity that had been inhaled.

Warren explained to me as I worked about the situation, how a destructive weapon called Face was going to be activated and it would wipe out all magic across the entire continent, the world even. His voice spoke quickly in my head and I listened, being brought up to speed also about what happened to Laxus and the others. That lightning rod, he's such an idiot. Brave though, just goes to show how far he's come since the beginning. We all have, we've grown and evolved so much as a guild after all this time.

"Hey Fae? Are we going to be alright?" Kinana asked me worriedly as she stuck close, also helping tend the wounded by bandaging people up, cleaning wounds and ensuring they were resting.

"Of course we are Kinana, I have absolute faith." I informed her simply, opening my eyes which were warm and bright which seemed to comfort her as I smiled. "No matter the danger, Fairy Tail has something that no one on earth can contend with, it's just impossible to permanently defeat us because we rely on one another's hearts."

"Rely on one another's hearts?" She echoes and I nodded my head, moving onto Bickslow.

"That's right." I affirmed as I healed him also, seeing Evergreen was already getting the colour back in her cheeks and her fitful sleeping was now relaxed and calm. "You see, I've come to understand a lot about magic recently and I've realised that the power of magic doesn't lie in its type or user's strength, I've always found that the stronger a person's feelings, the more powerful the magic becomes." I explained to her, lifting my head as she listened intently. "As a guild that heavily relies on family, our emotions tie us all together and that gives us unbound strength. In some ways it's limitless, if we learn to access it correctly."

"I've never thought of it that way." She murmured softly, touching a hand to her lip before she smiled. "One day, I'm going to be just like you Fae. I promise I'll work hard!" I gave a chuckle, smiling at her again.

"I look forward to it." I vowed as I healed Freed as well, brushing aside his hair as I then turned to Laxus. Now he was more difficult, there was just so much particle matter inside him that it was near impossible to eradicate it all as it was swelling and merging with his blood. I didn't want to do any damage, so I minimised it as much as I could, reducing the damage and healed some of his internal organs which were being affected. He coughed, spluttering slightly and his eyes flickered open. "Don't try anything stupid Laxus, keep on resting." I told him firmly as he groaned then quickly fell back into slumber.

"Hey, look out! Someone's coming this way!" Warren yelled in warning and instantly I was on my feet, jumping forwards with a spring to protect the wounded as there were many of them. I frowned as the figure slowly approached, a tall muscular man with shoulder length blond hair. Sniffing the air, I caught his scent and blinked, his scent rested on Laxus and the others, which could only mean that this was the same one who attacked them and the councilman.

"Take one step closer and you shall surely perish!" Master Makarov warned, taking a step forwards however the man stopped, the guild mark of twin hammers on his left shoulder displaying him as an enemy.

"You must be one of the Nine Demon Gates of Tartaros." I began simply, lifting my head as I clenched a fist, eyes narrowing. "And you are the one who hurt Evergreen and the others."

"I have no memory of such event, however you may well be correct in your assumption." He answered, the low voice making my ear twitch at the resonant sound. Beside me Makarov growled however I stepped forwards, glancing back to him.

"Master, please allow me to deal with him. I sense there are more of those berserkers coming, Laxus and the others will need you to defend them. I can handle this one no problem." I assured him, however Makarov looked reluctant, glancing over the handsome enemy before finally relenting with a growl.

"Very well. I shall leave him to you." He decided though he gave me a stern look. "Make him pay for harming our guild mates." It went without saying but I nodded my head before turning around, facing the man who was watching me calmly, looking utterly relaxed as I took a few steps forwards, approaching him so that we weren't so close to the injured.

"Your name?"

"They tell me my name is Tempesta." He answered and my brow twitched slightly. It appears he has lost his memories. To my understanding, this enemy was defeated by Laxus back at the councilman's café, he must have been reborn somehow, is this to do with being a demon? Well there is no time to ask questions, this one hurt my friends and I do not accept such transgressions.

"I am Fae of Fairy Tail. Prepare yourself. I do not go lightly on my enemies especially if they have harmed my family. Do not hold back!" I warned before springing forwards, using my physical strength alone to power into him. His eyes widened briefly as we flew backwards, soaring away from the wounded and the others so that when I buried him into the ground, we were far out of range and posed no threat to them. "So you are a demon, correct?"

Tempesta picked himself up from the ground, not even ruffled and dusted himself off as he nodded. "Your magic will have no effect on me, human. Give up now and I shall make your death quick as a mercy." He offered, however I only arched an eyebrow. Ordinary magic won't work on him, will it? How intriguing. "Against my Curses, you are nothing more than child standing in the wake of a catastrophe."

"Unfortunately for you, whether my chances at winning are high or low, I am not one to give up a fight when the lives of my precious friends are on the line." I answered him simply, gesturing with a shrug of one hand as my smirk deepened. "Additionally, it is also unfortunately that my magic is not just any ordinary magic. In fact, how about I show you?" As I called forth my wings, the light flashes brightly until my silken white wings fluttered evenly, flapping once to straighten the feathers before they settled, folding close to me as they almost touched the ground. "Now come. I am ready."

"Whoosh." Tempesta suddenly powered for me, a miniature whirlwind enclosing around his fist which he attempted to strike me with however I moved with a slight tilt of my body, avoiding the first few blows before leaping up into the air, gaining altitude. "Shatter." With these simple commands Tempesta seemed able to control both wind and rock. Large stones broke off from the ground and came flying towards me at alarming speed, forcing me to evade with a sweep of my wings to batter them aside. "Ignite."

Flames wrapped around his body and he sprung straight for me, this time colliding headfirst as I gasped, taken by surprise at his speed and strength which I now began to see easily outmatched mine. On a physical level, he was far stronger which meant I now had to come up with a strategy that would keep me on top. Speed seemed my only option. "Aerial Spirit!" I gasped out as my body took a battering from his punches, making me shake from the vibrations he powered through my bones.

With a flash I disappeared, melting into the air before I appeared above him, gritting my teeth with an angered expression. "Spiralling Cyclone." Without warning a huge force slammed down against Tempesta as if someone had whacked him down with a hammer, his body crashing into the ground as I used the air to manipulate him, slamming him into the rocks then dropped down, changing forms once more to Sword and Shield. "Take this you fiend!" The orb in my speak glowed, drawing in energy as I pointed it straight at Tempesta's back before releasing the blast, causing him to gasp and shudder as I blasted a hole through his shoulder.

Whirling the spear around I gave a defiant yell, aiming to pierce him this time through the heart, however before I could even break the skin the demon turned and caught the spear with his bare fingers, stopping it to meet my eyes. I stared in horror as the wound began to close at an alarming rate, healing himself with effortless ease. "What?"

"I am a demon with accelerated healing abilities. If you wish to kill me…" His fist suddenly ploughed into my gut, causing me to cough up my own blood as I felt the breastplate of my armour crack under the force, my eyes staring in horror at the damage he had caused to my seemingly impenetrable armour. Impossible! "Then you had best do it in one hit." I struck the ground hard, my already winded body receive multiple injuries from the strike as Tempesta followed after me. "Boom." The ground exploded around me with lightning, making me cry out and scream in pain as it set my nerves alight. "Break." At his command a pillar of rock jutted out at high speed from the ground, hitting me in the back and flung me up into the air. "Crush."

He played me like a ragdoll, tossing me about as I received injury after injury until finally, I snarled, eyes blazing red with anger as my demon half awoke, causing Tempesta to stop and stare as he caught the flash of red, signalling his danger. My hand buried itself into the ground as I flew across it, cutting off the impact as I then powered into him with a yell whilst transforming, my furious scream of wildness being overcome by my own lightning as I wrapped my arms around his waist and caused a pillar of lightning to crash down on the both of us.

Tempesta bellowed, feeling the excruciating pain as I accepted it, the lightning barely causing a tingle in my body before he slammed his fists down on my back, breaking my hold then tossed me away. "Engulf!" Flames wrapped themselves around me but I brushed them aside with a flap of my wings, righting myself in the air before I landed on my feet, however my knees buckled and I collapsed as I struggled to breathe. So this was a true demon. Figures he'd be this strong, it's always the same every time Fairy Tail has to fight a new enemy. They just keep on getting stronger and tougher to break.

"I will admit, I underestimated you." I finally conceded, still panting for breath as my entire body trembled, however I was happy to see that Tempesta also looked a little worse for wear. That last attack had singed his clothes and he looked rather bruised and grazed up. It's a start at least. "Perhaps you demons are worth getting a little more serious for." I decided, however a shout from behind caused me to pause and glance over my shoulder. More people were being brought back for treatment, I could see Mirajane being carried by her brother, who looked absolutely distraught. Was she alright?

In my moment of distraction I had not noticed Tempesta quietly give his next order, so when the hurricane slammed against me at full strength, I took the initial full force before I managed to slice it aside, crying out as I crumpled to the ground, struggling. I was losing energy and power, I could feel my heart burning under the strain and I winced as the cracks glowed on my skin, reaching my right eye like broken porcelain. It's now or never, I have to get rid of him. "Goodbye, pathetic human." I smirked, clenching a fist to crack my knuckles before I lifted it upwards.

"This one's for Laxus and the others." I announced quietly before a blast of lightning energy flashed at the palm of my hand, blinding Tempesta with the light before I thrust it forwards with all my might, giving a barely contained yell. "Thunder…Mountain!" The force of the blast was enough to demolish half of Magnolia, however I reduced the calamity of the impact by concentrating it onto the one target, Tempesta. It struck him directly in the middle, blasting him back with such intensity that had he been human, he would have died upon impact.

Shakily I got to my feet, allowing my wings to disappear as Tempesta disappeared from view, off the very face of the cube fortress, sending him deep back down into the caverns where I did not have to deal with him for the time being. I'll find him again and finish our battle, but for now there are people who need help. Shaking my head I flicked the collar of my white sleeveless overcoat upwards to protect my chilly neck, walking back to the others as they gathered, Warren sending out the message that Mirajane was alright.

I knelt before her and rested a hand against her forehead, seeing how badly beat up she was. She managed a soft smile to me. "You look like how I feel." She told me with a light giggle which lifted my spirits naturally.

"You look worse." I returned. "I'm guessing you met with a demon and crossed fists with them?" Lisanna told me everything that had happened with the demon Seilah and I listened as I healed Mirajane to the best of my ability, minimising her injuries though I could not make them disappear completely and I couldn't return her strength. That was something she'd get back with rest and a good long sleep.

 _"Okay Lucy, wait a second."_ I heard Warren in my head so I looked up, waiting to hear Lucy. When she spoke, she sounded cheerful and bright so I assumed that she and the others were alright and there was no need for me to worry, so I knelt on the ground beside Lisanna, taking off my coat and gave it to her so that she didn't have to remain in Animal Soul. With her now covered modesty, she gave me a huge grin as Lucy informed us about Face.

 _"Wendy and Carla have stopped Face, we crushed the enemies' plan!"_ Lucy informed everyone and there was a collective cheer, Lisanna squealing happily and threw her arms about me in a tight hug of excitement as I chuckled. It was so strange, seven years ago I was the same age as her, now I was much older than her, Elfman and even Mira. In some ways I now felt like the big sister of Fairy Tail.

 _"Can the Master hear this too?"_ Happy asked, his voice popping up in my head and instantly everyone was quiet, sensing that there was more and it might not necessarily be good. _"We met the soul of Master Hades, he said that even though we could stop Face, it's not over yet. Hades said to tell you to release the light!"_

"The light?!" We all looked to Master Makarov, seeing the shocked but understanding expression on his face. So he obviously knew what Happy was talking about, however the master didn't seem all to calm or happy about it. "What does that mean?!"

"I don't know either." Without warning there was a sharp screech in our heads, however Warren cried out in pain and instantly the others were rushing over to him, calling out his name as he collapsed. I was halfway to my feet when I heard the dark, sinister voice in my head.

 _"Wizarding guild of Fairy Tail. Right?"_ Who's this creep and what's he doing to Warren?!

"Someone's interfered with Warren's connection." Jet realised as he and Droy tried to help Warren as he gripped his head in pain.

"Who are you, bastard?!" Elfman bellowed as he securely kept a grip of Mirajane.

 _"The King of Hades, Mard Geer. But you don't have to remember that."_ Oh believe me I will. I never forget the name of an enemy once they've announced themselves. It makes them easier to sniff out. _"Since you have no tomorrow."_ What? What does he mean? _"Alegria."_ There was a breathless pause as the word seemed to echo in our minds, falling into a resonant silence until all at once, everything collapsed.

The ground quaked and cracked, dragging everyone down as the gravitational field dropped, making everyone cry out in alarm. I barely had time to draw in breath, it all happened too quickly. The sensation of falling overcame me before I landed on something sticky, making it difficult for me to move but I fought against it, even as the creepy tendrils began to crawl up my skin. "What is this stuff? What's happening?!" Everyone was panicking, shouting and screaming as I growled, trying to summon any one of my forms but my magic wouldn't answer, it were as if it were being overwritten or cancelled out.

"Stay together!"

"Big sis! Elfman!" Lisanna was crying out and I managed to turn my head to see Elfman try to shield his sisters with his own body before they became encased in the strange substance which was taking hold of my guild mates one by one.

"No! Let them go. Let everyone go!" I bellowed, rage engulfing me as I roared, clenching my fists and through sheer willpower alone managed to break my arms free from the crawling tendrils as they wrapped around my waist. "I won't…I won't let you win…I won't!" With a bright glow around my body I tried to use it as a barrier and force this strange spell to be broken, however the blackness collapsed around me, trapping me in seeming eternal night and for a moment which echoed through my mind, I went completely numb.


	14. Chapter 14

There's a light. I can see it shining. It's so soft, like the gentle glitter of a solitary star and it was warm too, almost like a blanket of surreal softness. It took me a moment to realise, but when I opened my eyes, the light was me. In my own darkness, I was shining. Shining. I'm still here, this does not mean it is over, it is only just beginning.

With a breath I closed my fist. Good. If I can move my hand, then I can still fight. If I can still think, I can plan. If I can still breathe, then I am living! Come now, search with soul to find strength. You possess the soul of an angel deep within you as well as a demon, you should be able to defeat this evil, it is what you were made for, Faerie. Do not give up just yet, fight!

Taking a moment to store my energy, my eyes opened to reveal an intense white light which shone outwards the same moment a powerful force from the outside came crashing down into my world of darkness, causing my heart to burn with the raging emotion as I recalled my friends. Lucy, Levy, Natsu, everyone, I am coming. I will save them, I must protect them, I cannot let them down this time! With all the strength I could muster, a resonating roar echoed from my mind and out into the open world, a brilliant burst of light blasting away my prison as the light tunnelled into the sky, making it rain with stars as I stepped free.

I felt surreal, almost as if I were walking on air as I walked away from Alegria's restraints, seeing that I had been snatched away from my friends and tossed into a dark corner of the prison, however it had been shattered by someone, completely broken apart. We were no longer flying, in fact we were on the ground and I could sense a great presence that was both familiar and friendly. "Celestial Spirit King!" I realised with a gasp, searching around to hone in on his location, however someone else's scent caught my attention first. Lucy.

Quickly I turned around, running towards her as I followed the weak scent until finally, she was in sight. I flew over a pile of rubble, sliding down easily as I called out to her. "Lucy!"

"F-Fae? Is that…you?" She questioned whilst laying completely flat on her back. She was wearing different clothes to how I last remember her wearing, the top half of her hair separated into two bunches and I recognised the tattoo mark on her chest as the one Aquarius also had. Amazing, had Lucy somehow attained some of Aquarius's power? There was a broken key in Lucy's hand and she had been crying, however she was trying to smile at me as I lifted her up into my embrace.

"It's alright, you're safe now." I assured her softly, cradling her head into my neck as my arms wrapped around her. "You've done a great job Lucy, you can let us handle the rest." Stroking her hair I listened to her shaky breaths as I transformed into my healing form, enveloping her in a soft light as I focused on healing whatever I could. There was a painful looking injury to her leg, a dark burn mark as if something had tried to blow off her foot so I focused my attention on that.

"Fae…look out…" Lucy whispered and I opened my eyes, seeing one of the other demons approaching and I tightened my grip on Lucy, snarling as my wings fluttered threateningly. They were very small and would not allow us a quick getaway, I'd have to transform. Before I could do so, however, I sensed someone else approaching at a fast pace straight towards us, so I merely smirked as the fish like demon approached.

"What happened? Does this mean even Jackal and Lamy were defeated by this little brat?" He muttered angrily, looking around him to his fallen fellow before turning his harsh glare upon us, meeting my glare. "This is exactly why I told them to kill her immediately. Now you too shall die with her, insolent wretches!" A large bladed arm was lifted, however I did not even flinch, hearing footsteps pounding behind us and as the blade was swung, a shadow leaped overhead and pounded an iron fist directly into the demon's face.

"Gajeel." I welcomed with a warm voice as he stood protectively in front of us both as I continued to heal Lucy. "Excellent timing."

"Impossible! How are there more of you?! The only human left alive should have been that little girl!" I objected to her calling Lucy little, however I did not voice my concerns as at the moment we had more pressing matters at hand. Lucy was still weak and injured but now we were facing a demon. A powerful looking demon at that.

My eyes caught a swirling dark mist overhead, however before it could strike down and attack Juvia appeared with a powerful Water Nebula to block the necromancer's way as it aimed for Gajeel. Her face was wrought with determination, the large spiralling body of water demonstrating only a fraction of her capability. "Juvia." I smiled again, relaxing further. The odds were looking better.

"How about I put you on ice?" A voice suggested, Juvia starting in surprise as her water was frozen over but Gray rushed into view, giving a yell as he blocked the other ice user's magic with a rather equal measure.

"Silver's ice was cancelled out?!" The necromancer gaped in shock however my attention now snapped the arrival of Tempesta, who calmly faced us all before he whispered something, blasting a huge plume of fire straight for us. Before I could throw out my hand, Natsu dropped seemingly from the heavens to swallow it all whole, gulping down the flames before smirking.

"I don't really know what's going on but somehow I get the feeling that you really saved our asses Lucy." He said and I saw a smile touch Lucy's lips as she slumped further against me in my protective embrace, holding her ready to fly in case things got a little too messy. "Well now. Lookie here. Some really tough looking dudes all lined up for us, now that's what I call hospitality!" Natsu grinned before pumping a fist against his palm. "I'm all fired up."

"Trust you Natsu to be excited about facing off four demons." I sighed softly, shaking my head before chuckling. "I'll leave them to you guys, I'll look after Lucy. She's pretty beat up." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, forming a line in front of Lucy and I to protect us.

"So your sneaky plan seems to have hit a bump in the road! Whatcha gonna do now?" Natsu teased with a smirk, however I noticed that Gray seemed a little shifty, he was tense and uncomfortable. Something was a little off and, as I looked ahead, I noticed that the guy named Silver was paying particular attention to him. "Hey, that's the bastard who froze that Giant's Village!"

"Huh? His stench reminds me of yours, icicle." Gajeel murmured so I took a deep breath, realising that it was fairly similar, though something was really off with Silver's. It lacked palpability, like it was papery and faded, almost as if it were…dead. No, it couldn't be, right? Without warning Silver suddenly darted forwards, shooting past Natsu and the others to grasp Gray by the arm, everyone crying out in alarm as Silver smirked.

"This runt's mine."

"Gray!" Juvia screeched in horror as the two of them disappeared with a flash, ending their scent trail. Where the heck did they go?! There was no time to question as Tempesta quickly formed several cyclones around us, causing a high intensity of wind to sap our strength but I moved out of the way, jumping from left to right with Lucy in my arms until we were both a safe distance away.

"We have to help!" She whispered desperately, trying to get up but she immediately flinched and cried out in pain, going weak once more as I lay her back down on the ground, one arm around her to support her weight.

"It's alright Lucy, the others can handle it. Right now I need to keep you stable as you've used a dangerous amount of your magical power, you could have seriously injured your mental wellbeing or even gotten yourself killed by doing whatever it is you did." I warned her, warm eyes refusing to show fear or concern, helping to relax her as she was surrounded by a golden light. "Now please stay still. I'm not as fast at this as Wendy, so it'll take me some time."

"Okay." She agreed, closing her eyes to let me concentrate. Already I could hear the battle going badly. The others were being taken down hit by hit, their magic barely putting scratches on the demons as they easily either avoided, blocked or countered every move. Things were certainly not going our way and Lucy's healing was going slower than anticipated. Whoever had hurt her had done a thorough job, this was probably something best left to Wendy but I couldn't just leave her like this. "Fae…that's enough. Save your strength." Lucy murmured, reaching up and taking my hand as she took deep breaths. "They're going to need us."

"But Lucy, your wounds…" Her eyes opened and the undying resolve silenced me, burning orbs of fierce determination taking me by surprise before I relaxed, giving a single nod of my head. "Alright, but you stay here with me. You're in no condition to fight anymore, you've done more than enough." So I kept her close, both arms wrapped around her to keep her warm as I watched the battles.

I flinched as Juvia was slashed by the necromancer, my instincts wanting to rush over and take him to pieces but Lucy was still shivering and weak. I couldn't leave her undefended. Please, everyone, give it your all! I watched as Juvia fought back, growing angry by something the necromancer had said, I could feel the burning passion in her heart and it felt as if her energy was feeding mine, I felt stronger by the second.

"Humans…don't just exist to acquiesce to your whims!" She thundered, gathering her water attack with one hand and sent it directly at her target who seemed to melt and flow easily, shifting shape to avoid being struck.

"No matter how you struggle, I will kill you." His creepy voice whispered, making me grit my teeth and hold onto Lucy a little tighter. "And use your corpse to slaughter your friends."

"No! JUVIA WON'T LET YOU!" She cried out as she was caught around the wrist, suddenly going still before yelping in pain, the tight grasp of the necromancer restraining her as both Lucy and I called out her name at the same time in fear. We both moved to rise to our feet and save her but before we could do so, Lucy was torn away from my arms and I too was restrained by skeletal bodies with astral smoke drifting about them like ghostly embodiments of nightmares.

"Lucy!" I tried to break free and get to her but for skeletons, these things were surprisingly strong and I was held back, though it took three of them to successfully hold me as my tiny wings flurried aggressively.

"This is the city of the dead. To Keith, it's arsenal." The weird shark demon explained and for a moment, I frowned. The necromancer was called Keith? Don't make me laugh. For someone who looked like they had just walked out of a child's worst nightmare, that was the most uninspiring name they could have possibly come up with. All the same, this necromancer was now trying to hurt Lucy as well as Juvia. I won't stand for it!

"Territory Purification." My voice thrummed with power as I started to glow, opening my palms where two balls of light appeared and started to expand. "Banishment!" A large pulse arced out around me, causing the skeletons to screech as they shattered the moment the light made contact, my body balanced on one foot which was standing on point, hands coming together slowly with two fingers pointing outwards, guiding my movements. "Angel's Halo, Purify."

As the magic surged within me the healing art of angels spread outward, cancelling out the necromancer's ability to control the skeletons for as long as I maintained the spell, which of course seriously ticked him off. "What is this?! What magic is this to have been able to undo my necromancy?!" He thundered, still wrapping Juvia up in ribbons of darkness. My eyes opened, revealing burning orbs.

"Release Juvia immediately." I commanded, a slight echo tinging on my voice as the entire area remained tinged in a golden hue, supressing Keith's ability to raise people and skeletons from the dead. "Natsu, Gajeel, he can't use his ability so long as I maintain this territory barrier, hurry up and take them out!" I ordered and the two of them instantly charged straight back into battle.

"Right!" Keith snarled, perturbed by my insolence as he continued to hold onto Juvia, who was still struggling.

"Now let her go!"

"Foolish human, I do not negotiate. I only…destroy." My eyes were filled with horror as Juvia became encased, staring helplessly as I failed to even twitch to her aid as with a final breath of death filled air, Juvia was gone. In her place stood mere emptiness as Keith snorted quietly. "One down." No, impossible! Juvia, Juvia! I was about to yell and transform, however before I could do so, Keith's robes started to bulge, making us all stop and stare as he balked. "What…what is this?!"

"Don't tell me she's…" Natsu began as the two boys stared in absolute astonishment, open mouthed as I maintained the territory. In my heart I could feel Juvia crying, I could feel the anguish as she fought back against Keith who was crying out in terror, shouting endlessly until finally with a great whoosh of water and movement, he was split apart as Juvia appeared with a shout to the heavens.

"Even if they change form, feelings always remain in the heart! That's what I believe to be the strength of human love!" Juvia! I cannot believe it, she defeated Keith! The other two demons stood in shock as I dropped the barrier, allowing my form to fade back to normal as my wings disappeared. For a moment Juvia stood still, crying silently with trembling shoulders until finally, her strength waned and she started to fall.

"Juvia!" Both Lucy and I surged forwards, catching her arms and together we held her on the ground, keeping her supported as we looked over her with worried gazes. "Juvia?"

"Magical barrier particles." Tempesta murmured softly and immediately my heart thumped in my chest for fear.

"They were in Keith's body, so of course they infected her as well." The other demon added, though they were talking to themselves. Those damn particles, that's what Laxus and the rest of the Thunder Legion had been infected with, what should I do? I'm low on magic power as it is, the most I could do is simply suppress the effects from worsening for a very short time. Juvia stirred in our arms, eyes still closed but she was wincing in pain, struggling for breath.

"Juvia wanted…to see Gray…again…" Lucy and I looked at one another before together we pulled her into our embrace, her words bringing new resolve to my heart. I don't care how much magic it takes. If it'll save Juvia, I'll give it all to her! There has to be a way to fix this. I'll attempt a purification, see if that works.

"Don't worry." Lucy whispered to her softly. "I know you'll be able to see him soon."

"Okay…" She whispered before going absolutely still. My body glowed, my healer form returning as I nodded to Lucy.

"I'll do my best but I cannot promise anything." I informed her before I rested one hand on Juvia's head and the other over her stomach whilst Lucy held her, breathing calmly to focus before I uttered the spells under my breath to try and eradicate as much of the particles as I possibly could.

"I grow bored of these games." Tempesta announced, though I hardly paid attention, my focus solely on Juvia.

"Yeah. It's about time we take them seriously. Forget that they're humans and treat them as dragon mages." The other demon agreed before I sensed a surge of dark energy, making me crack open an eye to see them being swallowed by intimidating levels of light which began to shift and change their very forms. "It seems that unless we use the real powers of etherious, we won't be able to destroy them."

"Then let's turn it up a notch!" Tempesta agreed, giving a roar before the two of them finished their transformations. They were true monstrous demons, but now they looked the part. What was worse I sensed an even greater wealth of power surging from them which did not make me hopeful about our chances. All the same, I have faith in Natsu and Gajeel as they have a few tricks up their own sleeves as well. After all, they have their own upgraded versions of their dragon slayer art.

"Lightning Flame Dragon mode!" Natsu yelled, igniting himself in flames which crackled with high voltage electricity, Gajeel also transforming to become black iron, shadows drifting from his eyes and hair.

"Iron Shadow Dragon mode!" I couldn't hold back a smirk. Those two, just as they showed off their dual modes, they started to bicker and fight about who was stronger. Honestly, if I had a hand free I'd smack them both and tell them to get on with it. Sure enough, when they actually got down to their fighting, they were enough to terrify even the demons themselves. There was just something about their raw power which burned from their depths of their determination which made it feel like no obstacle on earth could stand in their way. I would loathe to be their enemy even now.

Of course, being so powerful, they still couldn't keep their heads in the game and started arguing again when they accidentally punched one another. How can they be so carefree at a time like this? This is a matter of life and death, not a time for insulting about how weak a punch was! I was about to turn around and kick _both_ their asses for being stupid when Lucy's warning suddenly screeched in my ear, cutting off all sound of arguments.

"Fae look out!" I turned my head only to receive a blow to the face, almost shattering my cheekbone as I was flung backwards with a gasp, a clawed hand opening to strike directly into my gut as I released a scream, the pain causing it to fly from my lips in shock before I hit the ground and glowered hotly at Tempesta as he stood over me.

"I do not take blows lightly. This is what you've had coming to you." He growled under his breath, flexing his fingers however when he paused to actually look at me, he blinked, stopping in surprise. My hand was still held out, glowing softly as I struggled to breathe, my other hand gripping my bleeding wounds whilst I remained focused on healing Juvia. "You…you are still so focused on your friend, even when death stares you in the face?"

"Juvia is a friend worth dying for." I spat out bitterly as both Natsu and Gajeel roared.

"Leave Fae alone, you're battle is with us!" Natsu bellowed, starting to fire himself up as Gajeel did the same with a colourful array of insults aimed at Tempesta, however the sea demon's dark voice stopped us all.

"I invite you…into the deep seas of Hades." He murmured, raising his hands and with them, oceans of water suddenly appeared behind him, sickly smelling and dark like they were storming within. "Plunge into darkness!" The roaring waves rose above him and I acted quickly, leaping into the air to deliver a kick to Tempesta's face, knocking him aside as my wings appeared in a pearly white flash, one arm grasping Lucy around the middle as the other picked up Juvia.

"Hold on!" I commanded in a serious voice, taking deep breaths as my stomach continued to bleed but I ignored it for now and sprung up into the air, the force of my jump cracking the stone as we all rose up into the skies to avoid the deadly looking water. There's no way we should get caught up in that, it smells nothing like ordinary water. In fact I'm pretty sure there's a lot of carbon in there which would be poisonous to us humans. "Natsu, Gajeel, get away!" I yelled in warning but too late, watching helplessly as they were swallowed.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted and struggled, trying to dive into the water to save him but I flapped my wings to carry us all away, wanting to at least get her and Juvia to safety but with my strength beginning to fail, the most I could do was fly us to the highest point of the ruined fortress before my wings gave out and disappeared, my body caked in sweat. "Oh, Fae! You're really badly hurt, tell me what to do!" I gave a weak smile.

"You wouldn't happen to know any doctor spirits, would you?" I asked her teasingly before I shuddered, falling on my side whilst holding onto Juvia, my other hand holding onto the stones to keep us above water level as it continued to rise. "Don't touch the water, it'll poison you if you do." I warned, making Lucy squeak in fear and hastily scramble to get higher, trying to hold onto me as well. I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyes open. "Lucy…I need to rest for a little bit. Can you make sure Juvia doesn't fall?"

"Huh?! Y-yes! I can do that, don't worry, I'll look after both of you." She promised and her reassurance put a soft smile on my face as I exhaled, relaxing as she took Juvia's weight, allowing me to rest for a few moments.

"Thank you…Lucy…"


	15. Chapter 15

Even though I wanted to sleep forever, I was shaken awake by Lucy when she yelled my name, telling me that the water was gone. My attention instantly snapped into focus, sitting upright as I looked around. Sure enough the water was either gone or disappearing, so I grabbed onto Lucy and Juvia to drop to the ground, opening out my wings at the last moment as I forced my body to move. Energy or no energy, there's still one more demon to take care of. Tempesta. Gajeel and Natsu must have taken out the demon who controlled the water, which means they must be exhausted by now and they're going to need some help.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Lucy called after me as I started to walk away, fingers tightly clenching into fists as a swelling mass of magic began to surround me as my power deepened with my focused resolve.

"I'm going demon hunting." I answered coldly before leaping up into the air and swiftly disappearing. I followed my nose, though it was difficult at first to pinpoint the demon's exact location due to the water, I moved fast enough that once I had come across the right scent, I was able to move quickly towards it.

As I leaped up into the air I spread my arms, looking down to see Tempesta standing over Gajeel who was barely able to stand but was doing his best to doing so. Nevertheless, our eyes met and when he saw the fury upon my face, he smirked, making Tempesta pause then turn. My foot came crashing down against his arms as he lifted them to block, the impact making us both freeze as the two colliding forces battled against one another until finally we were both flung backwards.

I flipped over my head and landed on my feet, rich black hair swirling elegantly before I tossed it back over my shoulder with a huff, poising in a defensive stance. "Gajeel, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just beat the crap out of this idiot already would ya?" He growled, making me smirk as he struggled for breath, gripping his side whilst he slumped on the ground. Rest all you want Gajeel, this time I'll be the one to protect you. I believe this will then make us even. Tempesta was not happy to see me, growling as I approached with confident steps.

"Your weak attacks did nothing to scratch me the last time. What makes you think that you will be able to win this time?" He asked tauntingly, claws flexing as he looked pointedly down to my stomach which had stopped bleeding but still caused me pain as I walked. It was a minor inconvenience, nothing that I could not handle and deal with later. At the moment the most important thing was protecting Gajeel and Natsu, who was apparently still unconscious a few feet away from me as well as Levy who had appeared from nowhere, however Gajeel was now holding her close to him as she recovered. At least she's safe.

"Because I understand now. Ordinary magic will not suffice in defeating you and neither will a small amount of magical power." I began, stopping in my steps to stand a little distance from him before spreading my hands. "However, due to safety reasons, I am forced to seal away a large portion of my magical power in order to keep myself from hurting myself and others. With this in mind, I believe it now crucial that I show you just exactly _who_ and _what_ I am." My smirk deepened as my eyes narrowed, fixating on Tempesta as the air began to swirl around me.

I allowed a deeper capacity of magic into my body, careful to measure exactly how much magic I was revealing until I was satisfied that I had Tempesta's attention. In fact, he looked a little nervous. "Incredible, you had this much magic power from the very beginning?!" He raged, snarling at me as my form was illuminated with magic, hair billowing softly as I took deep, slow breaths.

"Believe me. This is still only a fraction of my full capacity of magical power. They do not call me the Feathered Fairy for nothing. I am a full rank S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail and have held the title as the strongest wizard in my guild for the past seven years." I did not need to tell him that this was because all the others had gone missing, such details were unimportant. "In fact, it is rather unfortunate that you should cross my path and choose to hurt those I love, because now I have no qualms about absolutely _destroying_ you." Spreading my hands a little wider I tipped back my head and exhaled, allowing the power to wash over me in a euphoric rush of energy as I transformed. Magic was less effective against demons, so it made sense that the only other tool I could use to fight against a demon was another demon itself. "Behold, my fallen angel. Black Heart."

Huge black wings blotted out the sun as I spread them, hair now slick and silky like snakes as it reached my ankles with burning red eyes so bright that even Tempesta took a step backwards, unsure. I did not give him the choice to retreat, for hurting my friends, he had to pay. "Hey! Make sure you get some of his blood. The old hag said it could provide an antidote for the others." Gajeel called out and I nodded my head, signalling that I understood. Blood. I can manage that.

Without even moving I disappeared, making the demon jolt before I appeared once more behind him, pausing before I buried a clawed fist into his spine, breaking it in two and making him scream in agony as he flew forwards. "What was it you said?" I questioned, voice humming with darkness as I walked after the crippled body. "You healed very quickly, right? How fun for me. That means I can break you again." I punched him again as he rose, shattering all of his ribs. "And again." Not stopping I lifted him up by the foot and whirled him around, slamming him into several rocks and broken ruins. "And again."

When I let him go he was shivering and broken, staring with wired rolling eyes until my shadow engulfed him, stretching towards him even as I stood still. "You think you are a demon? You are despicable. I thought you were going to pose some kind of challenge for me, are you not incarnate from the Book of Zeref? I am disappointed." Without warning Tempesta spun around with a snarl, clawed hands aimed straight for my face.

"Rage!" A blazing inferno engulfed me, burning the ground around me and dancing over my skin however I only gave a wild cackle, eyes burning even more brilliantly as I swept away the flames with a single beat of my wings, tail flickering as my tongue hissed between my teeth. "Nothing? You're not even burned."

"A rather unsatisfactory attempt. Try again." I sighed, placing one hand on my hip as Gajeel stared with wide eyes. He could tell that I was not exactly myself in this form, however I was maintaining enough control that I was supressing the hissing demon who was screaming inside my head, abhorred I was using her glorious form for such a meagre chore as cleaning out the trash.

"Break!" Tempesta pointed his finger at me, sending an entire mountain of rocks and debris at me however the quaking earth and crushing weight did not even make me flinch, a mere sweep of my wings as I spun clearing everything away before I gave another flap, tilting back my head with a sigh before shaking my head. "Boom!" Lightning crashed down upon me from above and I arched an eyebrow, amused by the tingling sensation as the powerful bolts coursed through my body, making me hunch over slightly before I started to laugh.

At first it was quiet, hardly noticeable until slowly, my volume increased until I threw back my head and howled with amusement. "Allow me to tell you a little secret, petty little demon." I began, stepping forwards as the lightning followed me, still striking me at every opportunity but still I felt nothing. "With this form, there is a little trick that I am able to utilise. Much like one of your 'Curses', I believe. You see, the more pain and damage I endure, the stronger this body becomes. Of course, that means for you, you have just given me a bountiful feast of beautiful torture and anguish. I thank you, but now…" As I walked past him, I sliced up a hand and his body gave a horrible jolt as blood began to trickle down my arm as I stopped behind him. "It is your end."

Tempesta stood perfectly still, gasping and gurgling until slowly, he fell to his knees. When he did so, the force of the drop made his head tip forwards before it rolled away, completely severed from his neck by my own hand, the blood hot and sticky upon my claws and fingers as I took a deep breath then forced the Black Heart form to retreat, pushing it deep down inside me as I felt tears rise to my eyes. The light fell away from me like dust scattered upon the wind, leaving me feeling much weaker than I had done before but I managed to remain standing as Gajeel slowly got to his feet.

"Hey…you still there?" He questioned suspiciously but was surprised to find tears strolling down my cheeks as I turned back to look at him, Natsu and Levy also stirring.

"Please don't think less of me for what she does." I whispered, fingers trembling as Lucy and Juvia approached, Juvia leaning dependently on Lucy for support as they called out our names. I felt hollow and rather disgusted with myself, unable to turn and look at Tempesta's decapitated body though the memory was still fresh in my mind.

"Fae! Natsu! Everybody! What happened-!" Lucy gasped in shock and I yelped, hand jumping to my mouth as all the girls started to shriek. "What the hell?! Who…what…why…?" Lucy trembled before forcing herself to look away, however I simply took a breath and dried my eyes, choosing not to say anything as the others glanced at one another.

Instead I turned around and picked up the body of the demon, wincing as his blood began to trickle down me but I ignored it, knowing that Porlyusica needed the blood and since I didn't know how much would be enough, I'd take the entire body. Bringing out my regular wings once more, I glanced back at the others with a sad expression, unsure about whether I should stay and explain but decided that they were probably still in shock. Thankfully they couldn't see the head, just the blood and body, so with a firm flap of my wings I rose up into the sky and soared away, struggling to keep the tears of shame away from my eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

I returned to Porlyusica who still remained with the wounded. I handed over the demon's body to her and although she gave me a sternly grim look, she nodded her head in acceptance and started to harvest the blood from the corpse. I was still disgusted with myself. Of course it was nothing less than this demon deserved, but I couldn't help but feel like I had been overly brutal with ensuring his demise. When I was in that form, it was like I was a whole new person.

It was difficult enough for me to supress the demon that lived inside me, however that meant that her carnal instincts and heightened aggression became a part of the form. It was a fallen angel after all, in many senses a demon itself. I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of actually using her powers but when facing other demons as strong as what we had come up against today, I had no other choice but to use that strength to protect my friends, even if I am a danger to myself.

Lowering my head I gripped my fists tightly before exhaling to relax, looking up at the sky. Something was coming on the wind, I could sense a rising power fast approaching and as everyone began to sense it also, my eyes widened in horror. I knew this feeling, I had felt it once before a long time ago. The terrible power rising upon death black wings with a screech to impale every sense…Acnologia. He was coming.

"What is this?!" I was frozen in fear, staring in absolute horror and fear as the dragon of death came himself, soaring through the skies before with a beat of his wings, ripped up the entire ground and sent a shockwave so powerful that I was sent flying off my feet with a yell, slamming into the ground and only just had time to raise a shield around Porlyusica and the others to protect them before they too were crushed. "Let's get out of here!"

"I can't…believe it…he's back." I whispered, shaking as I rose back to my feet, clutching at my stomach and flinching. I was too wounded to even stand a fraction of a chance to challenge Acnologia. Although this chance was what I had been training for ever since Tenrou Island, I was still too unstable to consider releasing all my magical power at once to take him on. Even so, as I looked around everybody looked so terrified. Cana was unmovable in her fear, so petrified that she looked as still as a statue and Romeo was gripping on tightly to his father, who was desperately trying to protect him. For the guild, I must be strong.

Pushing myself up, I started to walk towards Acnologia as he roared once more, shaking the entire ground with thunder. "Don't be a fool, you are in no condition to fight, let alone take on that thing!" Porlyusica shouted after me as she remained with Laxus and the others. "You can hardly stand!"

"Erza always says…if she can still stand, then she can still fight." I murmured as I took deep breaths, taking a little time to gather my wits about me. "I can still stand and walk, so that means I have no choice but to give it my all. Everyone, please try and escape. I will give you as much time as I can in order to run but I can't promise how long I'll be able to hold him off." I lifted my hands and drew in one final breath, summoning as much magical power to me as I dared until the ground began to crack under the weight.

"Fae…" Cana whispered, staring at me as I glowed with light, my pure white wings stretching as I filled myself with as much magic as I could possibly contain before all at once, I fired into the air. Acnologia opened his mouth, preparing a breath attack so I flew straight for him, wings tucked in tight to gain speed and momentum before with a roar of death defying rage, I plummeted straight up into his jaw.

His head was snapped upwards, the breath attack shooting into the sky and the dragon was knocked off balance as I arced around, spreading my wings whilst still glowing with a white aura, eyes blazing as I faced the dragon. I could feel the wrath of his anger rolling from him in waves and although it terrified me, I could not allow him to lay a single claw on my friends. Acnologia was not even injured so with a snap of his jaws he tried to swallow me whole but my smaller size came to be my advantage as I could quickly dart out between his teeth, alarmed at his own speed.

Several people screamed in fear seeing me almost be swallowed so I decided that I had to keep moving. Whatever had brought Acnologia here was obviously something bad, so I had to keep his attention for as long as possible. Heightening my speed I rammed my body like a bullet repetitively into his flanks, belly, through and head, trying to find a weak spot but of course, he had none. At least he was not able to keep up with my speed and small size, causing him to roar in outrage before suddenly his tail swung and caught me against my middle where my injuries screamed in pain.

I felt like I was being snapped in half, the pain was excruciating as I released an agonised screech, flying and tumbling in the air unsteadily though I tried to right myself. A claw swung straight at me so I barred, gritting my teeth as I yelled, pushing against the hardened scales as the light intensified around me, magical energy surging as I began to hold off his strength, wrestling with the single claw as Acnologia gave a deep bellied growl.

Knowing that he could crush me by just closing his claws I disappeared from sight, utilising my speed before I cracked down on the back of his head with all my might, releasing a roar of determination as Acnologia shuddered, tensing the muscles before without warning he threw back his head and I was tossed through the sky, my magic now beginning to deplete. I was out of time, had the others gotten away?

As the wind rushed around me I saw Acnologia open his mouth, readying for another breath attack. I tried to fly but my wings were exhausted, barely managing a twitch to turn myself around to face him properly. I can't…I can't move! He's so terrifying and his magical power was beyond anything I'd ever come across before, even more devastating than seven years ago. How could magic like that even exist?

My heart hammered in my chest before coming to a complete stop, mind going completely blank as I faced my impending demise. Was this really it? No, no I refuse! I refuse to die this way! I don't care if it destroys me, I'll defeat Acnologia no matter what! As I drew in a breath to release an outcry, a sudden rush of new magical energy made me stop and turn my head to see a deep red scaled figure of humongous size burst into view, a fiery talon fist punching Acnologia straight in the jaw as the other hand curled around me softly and pulled me out of the way. No way…another dragon!

"Igneel?!" I guessed, eyes widening as my wings disappeared with the last of my magic. The dragon turned a rather familiar grin on me as he held me back away from the danger. This _has_ to be Natsu's adoptive father, that's exactly the same grin I've seen from Natsu a thousand times.

"It is good to meet you, Fae." He rumbled deeply and I started slightly, trembling a little from nerves as the dragon king roared, battling against Acnologia whilst continuing to hold onto me. I could feel the heat from his flames yet he held onto me so gently as if he was very much aware of a human's fragility. "But you can leave the rest to me. Go now and help your friends."

"But…are you sure?" I called out, squeaking as Igneel had to rip me backwards away from Acnologia who attempted to bit off Igneel's hand with me in it. Watch where you're biting you stupid overgrown lizard!

"Go before you get eaten!" He ordered me before tossing me into the open air, making me yell as the rushing of air fell about me until I managed to turn and straighten myself up, trying to slow my descent but without any magic left, I couldn't call upon my wings or any of my other magic to help me. Stupid dragon, what exactly was he thinking?! The fast descent made my head spin and I momentarily blacked out, going limp as I twisted uncontrollably, everything fading out of focus until all at once, my sense returned.

Down below I could see Sting and Rogue fighting against their former guild master Jiemma, proudly proclaiming that their guild is stronger than ever before because of their new values in friendship and unity however Jiemma was having none of it, sending Sting and Rogue flying back with a single strike. "Sting! Rogue!" I yelled out in warning, fingers grasping at thin air in a futile attempt to slow myself down.

"What the hell?!" Sting yelled as both looked up to see me descending straight towards them, however upon seeing my face, Master Jiemma suddenly roared in outrage and sprung into the air with all the force his demonic power could muster.

"YOU!" My eyes widened as a bright light flashed before my eyes only to then be replaced by immeasurable pain as it wracked my entire body, a scream echoing through the entire ruin of the fortress as I felt my insides seemingly collapse under the attack of Jiemma. His eyes were glowing with hatred, face pressed close to mine as tears wept down my face, everything blurring as the vengeance Jiemma sought was ruthlessly taken. I have no magic left but still, I can't give up here. Vaguely I could hear both Sting and Rogue bellowing in anger and their wrath gave me a little more strength.

As Jiemma's attack remained firmly against my gut, I lifted my hand and closed it around his face, the cracks of light flaring up along my body as they stung like a thousand needles but I ignored the pain, gritting my teeth as I opened my eyes and a flare of light blossomed around us before time slowed, the wind gently coiling through my hair as I took as large a breath as I could, trying to focus my energy into one last outburst.

"Explosion." My hoarse whisper was barely audible over the noise that rushed back to meet me as everything sped up again and the light concentrated at my palm against Jiemma's face, gathering energy before all at once the explosion blasted against him, sending him flying backwards as both Sting and Rogue attacked at the same time with their combo of dragon silks, making Jiemma roar in agony as the three way attack tore him to pieces and ended him.

Compared to the twin dragons, my attack had hardly done any damage but it was enough to shake him off me, so as I fell, I allowed myself to slip away completely. "Fae!" I heard them yelling my name as well as the pounding of feet as they fought to reach me, already exhausted but determined nonetheless. I felt both their arms curl around me as they jumped, using themselves as my cushion before we all landed on the ground with a hard crack, sliding to a halt with all of us gasping for air. "Fae…you okay?"

"Talk to us." Rogue struggled for air as I coughed, hardly able to believe I was still alive.

"I'm…alive…just…" I managed before cracking a weak smile, tears touching my eyes as I relaxed into them. "Thank you…" Unable to hold on any longer, we all fainted into unconsciousness still wrapped up in one another, unable to move and without the energy to do so even if we wanted to. I was too tired, just too tired to even consider anything other than sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

I awoke a week later in hospital, covered in bandages and injuries that were still healing. The doctors told me I was lucky to be alive, Porlyusica told me I should be dead for being such an imbecile. I was just glad to learn that everyone was alright, however when the news of Fairy Tail's disbandment hit me, everything went silent.

"What?" I could scarcely breathe from the shock. Porlyusica, for once, looked saddened by informing me of this world shattering news. Fairy Tail was…gone? I refused to believe it. Throwing off my covers I ignored all protests, even pushing people out of my way as I took off running for the guild. People shouted at me for being reckless, bumping into them and even tripping upon occasion being barefoot, however I ignored everyone and did not stop until I stood in front of my guild which was completely demolished, untouched.

I'd seen the ruins of houses everywhere along the way, the destruction of Magnolia in the wake of our battle against Tartaros having been on a scale larger than I had ever seen before. I stared in horror at the abandoned building, not a single soul in sight. Not the master, not Natsu, nobody. They'd all gone and left me behind. The swallowing emotion of isolation and abandonment shook me, making me fall to my knees as I began to cry until all at once, everything was released in a powerful burst of sound and magic.

Buildings on their last legs collapsed under the quake, people yelling and screaming in fear as the entire city trembled. My head was lifted upwards, the light appearing on my skin as the cracks began to creep further around my body, blazing brightly as the emotion continued to well up inside me. I couldn't handle this, they'd left me behind. Fairy Tail was gone, what do I have left now? Did all that talk of family bonds always mean so little? I can't believe it and I do not understand, what was Makarov thinking?!

Gradually the trembling stopped and I slumped forwards, shoulders wracked with sobs as I clenched my fingers into the dirt. My home. My home was destroyed and they'd just left it that way. How dare they? How dare they?! Still as I cried, I couldn't help but hear someone approaching with slow, despondent footsteps so I slowly looked up. "Lucy?" I whispered, seeing her disheartened expression as she approached me. "Lucy…"

"They've all gone." She murmured softly, eyes dead and empty. "Natsu…Happy…Levy…even Gray and Juvia have left. Everybody went without so much as a word after Master Makarov disbanded Fairy Tail." She explained to me however as I looked, I saw that she was grasping her hand where her insignia still remained. Quickly I looked to my arm to see my gold insignia also, still there untouched. It brought little comfort, but a small comfort nonetheless. "They've all left me behind…I thought you'd gone too."

Lucy burst into tears, clutching her face as she fell to her knees next to me, making me blink before I forced myself to calm down and I pulled her against me. "It's alright. I'm still here Lucy. I'm here." I hummed softly, stroking my fingers through her longer hair as she sobbed into my shoulder. I held her close whilst rocking her gently, slowly calming her down until finally, she pulled back and I smiled, brushing away her tears. "Fairy Tail can never be gone. I refuse to believe that this is forever. The Master obviously is up to something so we just have to be patient until we figure out what's going on." I determined before rising to my feet, pulling Lucy up with me.

"You're right. You're right Fae, there has to be a reason for all this." Lucy agreed as I slowly looked around. "What do we do now? How are we supposed to earn money if we're not working jobs for the guild?"

"Well one thing is for sure. Nothing is going to return back to the way it used to be with Magnolia in tatters." I mused before taking a deep breath, closing my eyes before holding my hands together, summoning my magic to me. "Arc of Time. Restore." A rush of energy bloomed from me in a wave, making Lucy squeak and grip onto me as the force almost knocked her flying.

Around us the buildings began to mend, debris rising from the ground and everyone gasped in awe as I opened my eyes to reveal them blazing with confidence, focusing on pushing my magic as far as it would go, slowly reaching out with my hands. The guildhall trembled and shook before beginning to rumble, rising back and restoring itself to its former glory as my spell engulfed the entirety of Magnolia. People stood back in shock as their homes were rebuilt, stone mending back together effortlessly until the city was completely restored, allowing me to close my fingers and my eyes returned to their normal honeyed amber tone.

"Wow, that was incredible Fae!" Lucy breathed. "But you shouldn't put yourself, you're still healing and you have to be careful because of your condition."

"I'm tired of being careful. From now on, I'm going to push myself to my very limits." I announced, looking up towards the guild which now stood just as I remembered it. "I'm going to fight, train, learn, evolve and strive to be the absolute best I can be and beyond that. I want to attain the power to be able to protect my friends, no matter how much I have to sacrifice in order to achieve that." Walking over to the closed gates of the Fairy Tail guildhall I pressed my hand against the cold metal and focused, my hand glowing as a magic circle appeared like a lock and instantly a magical shield shot up around the entire building, sealing it away in a dome so that no one could enter. "There. Now nothing can touch our guild. Only someone with the Fairy Tail guild mark can open these gates and break the enchantment, so that should keep any unwanted visitors out."

"Yeah, good idea." Lucy murmured before jogging to catch up with me as I'd started to walk away. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'll travel to all the cities and villages affected by Face. Porlyusica told me everything about what happened and about the events that followed my passing out. I'll go around restoring the towns so that everything goes back to normal then I'll think about what I'll do next once I've achieved that." I mused, unsure of what else would be a good cause of action. The first thing was of course to fix what had been affected by Face, however after that…who knows.

"What should I do?" Lucy asked me quietly, stopping in her tracks and lowering her head. "I won't be any use to you but…I don't know what else to do. Everyone just left with someone else as their companion, they all just left me behind and I thought I'd be alone. I didn't realise you were in hospital otherwise I'd have come visiting you every day, everybody just went without saying another word. I don't…I just don't understand!" She was struggling not to cry and I could sense that there was deep heartache within her, so with a smile I stretched out my hand as the sun began to set, casting a brilliant golden light around us.

"Hey Lucy." I said softly, making her lift her head and blink at me as I continued to hold out my hand to her. "Let's go on some more adventures, just you and me." I invited her, eyes soft and inviting as my hair flickered in the breeze. "We'll figure it out, but for now let's stick together until you decide what it is you want to do. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm definitely not going to leave you behind. So what do you say?" Lucy sniffed, wiping her face dry before she smiled gratefully and placed her hand in mine, my fingers wrapping around her guild mark as I opened my wings.

"Sounds great." She answered before I rose up into the air, my wings effortlessly pulling us both up with a rush of wind as I pulled her into my arms then soared into the skies, heading into the sunset to glide into tomorrow, no matter what it may bring.


	18. Chapter 18

Together Lucy and I fixed up as many towns and villages that we could get to or find, receiving plenty of reward money along the way. This took up a solid two months until finally it was time to plan our next move. I was still very much aware that my father could well know of my existence and location, so I made a point to constantly be on the move in order to keep him from finding me again, though I knew eventually it would be in vain.

"What do we do now? Should we try tracking everyone else down to get Fairy Tail back together?" Lucy asked but I shook my head.

"No, not yet. Wounds are still fresh and I know it's going to a while before everyone is ready." I reasoned with her, thinking about people's individual sufferings since Tartaros. When I think back on it and reflect, I could understand how Elfman would feel responsible for almost killing everyone, and all of the dragon slayers lost their beloved teachers. Especially Natsu, whose father Igneel was killed by Acnologia. That was a pain that will not go away too easily. "But just a little more time should be enough for everyone to wrap their heads around everything that happened. We all need to get stronger in order to have the power to protect one another, but that doesn't come with just a snap of your fingers." Lucy bowed her head sadly as she and I walked side by side.

"Yeah I guess." She sighed in agreement before looking up to the sky. "So…what should _we_ do then? We'll need a job if we're going to live, maybe I should ask around and see if there are any journalism jobs going, I'd like to try my hand at writing properly."

"Head to Crocus." I suggested to her and she blinked at me in surprise. "There's plenty of reporting jobs out there as well as journalism. You know that guy from Sorcerer Weekly? That's where the headquarters for the magazine is. I think you'd do a great job there." There was a moment of silence as Lucy slowing began to realise through my tone that this meant we would be going our separate ways.

"You're not coming with me? Are you." She stopped, eyes filling with pain so I too halted so that I could turn and look back at her with all the emotion in my soul.

"No, Lucy. It's time that you moved forwards without me. You know of my past and what lies ahead in my future and I do not want you to be caught up in that." I told her gently, reaching out to take both her hands. "It's too dangerous for you to be caught up in that without everyone else for support and strength. I refuse to put you at risk, Lucy." I could see Lucy was struggling not to cry, putting on a brave face so I pulled her into my arms and enshrouded her with warmth. "But I'll come back, I promise. This is not the end of our friendship and it certainly isn't the end of Fairy Tail. If you call for me, I'll hear you."

"Fae…" She murmured before gripping onto me tightly. "I'll miss you, but I understand." Lucy held onto me as tightly as she could, her sweet smelling hair softly filling my nose along with her aromatic scent. "I'll be waiting for you to come back." Smiling into her hair I exhaled softly, relaxing as Lucy let her head rest against my shoulder. "You know, when you hold me like this, it feels so warm and nostalgic, it makes me think of my mom." She whispered to me softly. "You make me feel so much better, no matter what the situation. Every time I was in danger, you seemed to just fly out of the blue and rescue us all, seeing you and witnessing just how powerful you can be always gave me more strength to continue fighting, no matter who our opponent was." She pulled back slightly and we touched brows, smiling together. "So one day, I hope that I can return all the favours of the past. One day I'll come and save you, then we'll call it even."

"Oh Lucy, you have been there for me in more ways than you know." I told her with a humming chuckle as we gazed at one another. "Simply put, you and everyone else in Fairy Tail liberated my soul from the cage it used to be trapped in. Lucy, you gave me back my wings." Letting go slowly I took a step back, the glow of sunset glowing from her hair as her warm brown eyes followed me even as I slowly walked backwards. "If ever you're in danger or trouble, all you have to do is call out for me. Your feelings will reach me through this." I pressed a hand over my guild mark and she unconsciously did the same, holding her hand tightly. "We will always be connected, every single one of us. It doesn't matter if Fairy Tail is there or not, because it will always be in our hearts, and our hearts are our most powerful weapon."

"Fae…" She reached out a hand as I lifted mine, giving a wave before suddenly, with a laugh, I thrust my finger up into the air as the breeze wrapped around me, lifting our spirits as I gave the Fairy Tail salute.

"We're number one!" I chanted, making Lucy grin and blink back tears as she saluted also, smiling broadly as I called out my wings and softly began to beat the air, lifting myself up. "I'll be seeing you Lucy, take care of yourself until I come back!"

"Fly safely Fae, I'll be waiting!" She promised, waving after me as I turned and flew into the skies, soon fading from sight. I closed my eyes, feeling a few stray tears slide down my cheeks before the wind snatched them away. I'll miss you Lucy. I'll miss everyone. But this is for the best, at least for now. I'd thought about it for a while, but now I knew exactly where I could go without anyone ever finding me, somewhere I could train and live in peace until the guild was put back together.

Tenrou Island.


	19. Chapter 19

It was easy enough to fly there, however the moment I set foot on the island I felt a peaceful sensation overtake me, allowing me to relax as I started to walk forwards and into the trees. The island was much bigger than it looked from a distance, so I climbed and searched for the entire day before I found a place suitable to make camp, high up so that I could see far and wide and sheltered away so that no monsters could gate crash.

Food was easy, I just had to either fish for it in the stream where I could collect water or pick fruit from the trees. It seemed like I'll be living off a very simple diet, but at least food was still available. I could sense the presence of the First Master Mavis, however she seemed to be keeping her distance for the moment. Once I was settled for the night with my campfire, I started to sing to myself softly, watching as the embers climbed higher and higher.

"You sing really well, young one." Her soft voice made me stop and I looked around to see her glowing ghostly figure approaching, bare feet padding against the ground. "Tell me, why are you here all alone?"

"Forgive me First, I was merely seeking refuge." I informed her before lifting my arm. "I still hold the guild mark, so I'm not trespassing here, it's still sacred ground to Fairy Tail." Mavis smiled, nodding her head in understanding before she came and sat with me at the fire, stretching out her toes towards the fire.

"Well. At least you won't be lonely. I'll keep you company for as long as you need." She gave a sweet smile, still youthful looking on the cusp of adulthood. I had read the story of her origins and how Fairy Tail had begun. I had even looked back through the records and found reports of her going missing before being found dead. It was a sad end to a wonderful story, however I couldn't help but feel that not everything was as it seemed.

"First Master, is there any way I can heal myself?" I asked her however Mavis threw me a puzzled look, so without even batting an eyelid I revealed the cracks on my body, the sharp light gleaming with silver and Mavis instantly started in surprise before curiously coming closer to inspect my affliction.

"This is quite extraordinary. I have only read in the past of such an injury being possible but never actually seen it in reality. How did this happen?" I explained to her what had happened back at the Grand Magic Games and she hummed in thought, circling me once before sitting back down. "To have cracked your magical container is something very difficult to both understand and explain. You see, your magical container is not exactly physical. You can't dissect a wizard and find it but it still definitely there. It's a state in between states." She began to explain so I listened intently. "There is no way to cure it, according to research, because nothing like this has ever happened before though considering how powerful Natsu is and how much he relies on his emotions to elevate his power, I can understand how this would be possible."

"He is unaware that he caused this. I did not want him to feel guilty." I murmured and the First nodded her head.

"A good decision. Now, according to my calculations, I strongly believe that to gain control over your condition, you require a strong mental hold over yourself. Meditation might be the key and it may take a long time before any progress is made." Mavis said, pacing slowly before me. "Are you willing to sacrifice anything that might be necessary in order to heal?" Slow I nodded my head, rising to my feet. "Good. Then I shall guide you, young one. I will be at your side and together, perhaps we shall find the answers to that which you seek."

I sensed that there was a double meaning behind her words but I did not argue. The First Master suddenly brightened, beaming happily as she skipped forwards. "Wonderful! Now that that's out of the way, how about a late evening bathe?" She suggested and with a flash, jumped into the nearby pool to soak. I couldn't help but chuckle but decided to join her, stripping off shamelessly and gracefully stepped into the pool.

The cool water was instantly refreshing, however after Mavis sighed and mentioned that a hot bath was much more preferable, I held out my hand over the water and a magic circle appeared, instantly heating the water until it was bubbling nicely. "Ooh! You have a wide variety of magic, young one." She mused in awe before sinking further into the water. "Although I cannot exactly _feel_ the water and its warmth, I can imagine the sensation."

"Warm baths are good for the soul. Since you are a soul, there is nothing wrong with indulging every so often." I reasoned as I started to wash my hair. Mavis smiled at me, watching as I ran my fingers through her hair before she chuckled.

"You have grown up so much, Faerie. I am almost envious of you." She sighed, looking down with a blush at her flat chest and childlike body. "I never had the chance to grow older, and since my body never developed…" Arching an eyebrow I let out a soft laugh, realising that Master Mavis was actually quite self-conscious. It was rather endearing.

"Don't worry Master." I said to her as I tilted back my head and allowed my hair to rinse in the warm water. "I think you're beautiful just the way you are and, had you been able to grow older, you would have been a stunning young woman. Perhaps even more beautiful than Mirajane." Opening my eyes I gave her a mature look of sincerity, making the master's eyes widen slightly before she too smiled back, eyes filling with a sparkling light which, added with the rosy blush on her cheeks, made her look even more youthful than before.

"The sentiment is greatly appreciated, young one." She chuckled before starting to splash in the water. "I think I'm going to enjoy having you here with me, I've been so bored for such a long time, it's going to be fun having someone to talk to!" She laughed before splashing me, making me chuckle as I splashed her back in response, making her laugh more as I continued to keep the water at the perfect temperature, spending as much time as we wanted before eventually I had to get out otherwise I'd be as wrinkled as a prune.

"First? Can I ask you something?" I questioned her as I secured the towel around me. "How come you're here as a ghost? I didn't used to think that such things were even possible." Getting dressed after I'd stoked the fire, I looked up as Mavis sat on a tree branch, quite happily observing the stars however she gave me a smile and a wink.

"It's a secret." She giggled before inviting me to join her. We spent a good time discussing the stars, Mavis pointing out the constellations and was overjoyed to find I was rather knowledgeable all kinds of topics thanks to Levy's encouragement of me reading different kinds of books. With a pang I realised just how much I missed Levy, it's been too long since we'd seen one another, it didn't feel the same anymore. Usually by this time we'd be tucked up in bed or downstairs reading by the fire, it felt alien to be so far away from everyone that I loved. "You shouldn't worry, young one." Mavis said, awakening me from my reverie. "You'll see everyone again soon."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I have faith in the feelings that you all carry. After all, magic is only as powerful as the emotion that a person wields. The greater the sentiment, the greater the outstanding force." She instructed me with one finger raised like a tutor, making me smile as I leaned forwards, intrigued. "And thus, I know without a doubt that Fairy Tail is not yet finished. You will all come together again when the time is right." She stated, youthful face smiling before suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she began to wail. "Otherwise I would have started my guild all for nothing and everything would be over!" Alarmed I quickly tried to soothe her.

"I'm sure you are right, First, don't worry about a thing." I reassured her, gently reaching out for her hand. It was strange to touch Mavis as although she felt real, there was still an unearthliness about her. Her skin was smooth and cold like marble, yet a strange warmth glowed off her skin which touched my fingertips. She calmed down, sniffling softly and wiped her eyes dry. "Master Mavis…might I ask you for your help?" I asked her slowly, a plan beginning to formulate. Instantly her eyes flashed brightly, turning to me with interest as she floated forwards, rising up as she leaned close so that her face was directly opposite mine.

"Yes young one? Ask away!"

"Well you see, I am in a state of condition which is rapidly deteriorating and I was wondering if perhaps you knew of a way to help me fix it." I began before I stood, taking off my jacket and taking a slow breath before allowing the cracks of light in my skin to show, the brilliant beams shining in the darkness as they journeyed over my skin. It had stopped spreading, however I was wary that about a third of my body was now covered and I could not risk any further damage otherwise I may be too late.

"Oh, how interesting." Mavis hummed, circling me slowly as she inspected my condition closely. "I have never seen anything like this before, neither have I read of it. Tell me everything, young one, I wish to know everything that happened and we shall do our best together to heal you." She informed me confidently as I relaxed, allowing the scars to disappear.

"Thank you, Master Mavis."

"Please, just Mavis is fine. After all, it appears you and I will be living together from now on." Suddenly my clothes changed into silk pyjamas of pale pink with white rabbits on them, fluffy slippers on my feet with my hair wrapped up in a warm towel, Mavis's clothes also changing to a pink nightdress with ribbons and roses on the collar. "Slumber party!" I couldn't help but laugh, smiling as she threw her hands up in the air and an illusion of sparkles shone around us, blinking softly as the shower settled around my feet.

Together we planned our future, the master assuring me that she would teach me everything she could as she had decided that I would be her main instrument in the waging war that was to come. I did not know what war she meant as our battle against Tartaros was over, however I did not question her. Sometimes she behaved like a young girl with not a care to her name, however sometimes I would catch her gazing off into the distance with a cold look in her eye, her entire character changing to one of melancholy and deep reflection. The contradiction was startling, however I quickly adjusted.

That night I slept peacefully, warm and comforted under the blanket of Tenrou Island, listening to the sounds of a soft breeze and chirping animals until I found the quietness of sleep. All the while, Mavis watched over me like a sentinel, never once shifting from her seat on a branch above my campsite, guarding over me until the morning broke over the horizon and with the sun, I too rose determined to continue fighting through another day.


	20. Chapter 20

Sitting cross legged at the edge of a cliff which jutted sharply out over a deep slope which fell down a startling distance down, I breathed in slowly and deeply, focusing on opening up my magical container. Mavis was instructing me on how to improve my magical ability. We had been working together every day on several projects, all of which were taking a huge portion of our time.

One was my magic draining condition, which she was deeply engrossed in out of her own intellectual curiosity. Another was the legend of the Hand of Satan, which also peaked her interest. This was very much my own project, however with Mavis's directive, she was able to point me in the right direction towards books and places of archaeological importance that she knew of that might be of use to me.

I had searched and studied until my mind was full, however no new information or discovery came. Soon enough I was resigning to the fact that I was going to remain in darkness until I found the courage to find my father and defeat him myself. Perhaps then I shall know what this was all about, however until then, I shall train and better myself so that I had the power in order to defeat him on my own. I could not risk anyone else getting hurt on my account and by the way Mavis sometimes spoke, I received a strong sense that Fairy Tail will face a great threat. If I am to stand beside them, I _must_ become their shield.

Mavis had me bathing in the healing waters of the island, assuring me that it would help reduce the damage and I was immensely grateful for her company. After my meditation I headed to the hot spring, stripping off as I went. Seeing as it was just the two of us, I was not concerned about being completely naked as I stepped into the water. She floated next to me, dipping her legs into the water. "I wish I could feel the warmth of a hot spring, it's been so many years." She sighed, swaying softly from side to side as I felt the healing properties beginning to seep into my skin.

"Master, how is it that you are a ghost?" I asked her, running the water over my arms as I washed. "I am just curious." Her intelligent yet also inquisitive eyes locked onto me, her feet which had previously been kicking at the water going still as the air seemed to still around us.

"It is a story for another time, young one." She answered as I held an arm across my chest, keeping a small amount of modesty about me. "May I ask one thing, though?" I nodded my head, sinking a little lower to emerse myself in the water then rose up once more as she suddenly floated over to my face, eyes staring straight into my soul. "How did you manage to get such a huge chest?!" She demanded to know and I balked, coughing to cover up my laughter as a smile stretched across my lips.

"Well, I guess I was just born with it, First." I answered with a shrug. "It's not all that great though, they're extremely heavy and it's easier to dress when you're less endowed." I reasoned with her, looking down at my body. I suddenly realised how much I had changed since before the Tenrou island incident. My body was much curvier and womanly, mature now that I was a full grown woman and not a little girl anymore. It was still strange, knowing that I was now older than my friends who had once been the same age as I was.

"It's so unfair…I never got my grown up body." She sniffed then sat back down, giving a dreamy sigh. "Never to mind, some things were meant to be. Regardless, you cannot trap yourself here, young one. I must insist that you continue to make a name for Fairy Tail whilst it is out of commission, after all, since we were so successful at the Grand Magic Games, it would be a shame for our name to be forgotten, don't you think?" Her mischievous expression made me grow suspicious. "I calculate that you will receive a call from Lucy Heartfilia in preceisely three seconds." I blinked then looked over to my belongings which were camped in a little grove just beside the hot spring.

Exactly three seconds after Mavis had spoken, my communication lacrima started to bleep so I hurriedly rushed out of the water, grabbing my towel to wrap it around my body then dug it out from my bag. "Lucy!" I smiled, looking into the crystal to see Lucy smiling at me.

"It's good to see you Fae, I miss you already!" She said brightly. "I know it's only been three weeks, but you see, there's someone who wants to see you and since nobody knows where you are, they came to me to try and get a message to you." Lucy explained and I stood up slightly, curious.

"Someone wants to speak to me? Who?"

"You remember Princess Hisui and her dad the king, right? Well they both want to speak to you. They didn't tell me what about, but I think it's really important as they asked you specifically as one of Fairy Tail's strongest S-Class wizards. Will you go? Shall I tell them you're coming or do you want me to say that you can't come?" Lucy offered sweetly but I smiled at her reassuringly.

"I will be there very soon. I'll fly straight to the palace and meet the king there, thank you for informing me Lucy. How are you? You're not feeling lonely, are you? I'll come and visit you as soon as my audience with the king is over with." I fussed over her but she assured me she was coping fine but she'd be really happy to see me.

We said our goodbyes and once she was gone I hurried to get dried and dressed. "You see? All is going according to plan." Mavis smiled at me as she sat on a branch, watching me prepare to leave. I chose not to take anything with me, instead leaving everything there, including my swords. I rarely used them anymore as there was very little need, however I didn't want to simply give them away. Perhaps I should give them to Erza after I'd enchanted them somehow, I am sure she would like them, I remember I would catch her admiring them often in the past.

"I am convinced you can see into the future, First Master." I said to her as I dressed in comfortable bottoms, my boots and after I'd slipped a shirt over my head, pulled on my white longcoat. "That was incredibly spooky."

"Not at all, now make sure you do your best! I'll be waiting right here when you get back." She assured me, waving as I summoned my wings and with a flash, darted up into the sky with the swiftness of an eagle. My wings spread wide as I flew back to Fiore, aiming for Crocus City where the king would be waiting for me. I wonder what it was he needed. He very rarely asked for my help in the past and whenever he did so it was usually because no one else had succeeded in the task he'd entrusted to others. I was usually a last resort as I was certain not to fail. Failure was not an option with me, so I made it a policy to always return successful no matter what the quest.

It took me all day to travel, however by the time sunset was upon me I was landing in the palace front courtyard, startling some of the guards but I lifted my hands, signalling I was not a threat and when they recognised my face, they relaxed. Allowing my wings to disappear I was escorted inside, however at the back I could hear two of the guards whispering to one another, unaware that they were still within my earshot.

"That's the woman who defeated Jura in the games, she defeated one of the ten wizard saints!" One of them whispered excitedly. "My daughter idolises her, she's like one of the most popular wizard figures but she never gives interviews or goes for photo shoots. She's so mysterious!"

"She's so hot too, just look at her curves…now if I wasn't married…" The other guard trailed off after I turned my head and looked them dead in the eye. They both squeaked and flinched, standing to attention so I smirked and continued on my way. I was taken straight to the main hall where the king sat on his throne with the princess next to him. They both smiled when they saw me, the king rising to stand and greet me.

"We are so grateful you rushed here to speak with us, it is a pleasure to see you again Lady Fae." The king had always insisted on calling me lady, even though I protested that I was nothing of the sort.

"It is always an honour to be in your presence, Your Majesty, Your Highness." I spoke, smiling and nodding to the princess as she too rose to her feet.

"Would you care for refreshments?" She offered but I shook my head.

"If there is something that needs to be done, I would rather begin immediately so please, tell me what it is you need from me." Father and daughter glanced at one another before they turned their slightly concerned faces upon me. Whatever it was, it must be serious.

"There has been a sudden rise of dark guilds on our borders, they are wreaking havoc upon our people and they are becoming harder and harder to control. Some have even managed to defeat an entire platoon of our guards and wizard suppressers!" The king panicked and so Hisui calmed him gently, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"We would be most grateful if you would help us, Fae. You are one of the greatest dark guild hunters of the century, no one has shut down more operations than you have and now we depend on your knowledge once again. Will you help us?"

"Of course." I answered, dropping a polite bow to them. "I'll deal with these dark guilds. All I need is their names and last known locations. I'll sweep through the borders and ensure that everything is set to rights again." The king looked relieved, thanking me again and again so I told him that all that I needed was a contract for me to sign, as I still affiliated with the Fairy Tail guild and to ask my help required a standard contract, though reward was not necessary.

The king insisted on a reward regardless, so he quickly drew up the contract, specifying what needed to be done and I signed it with my name, holding out my hand and a stamp appeared from thin air and I used it to give the approval seal of the Fairy Tail guild, the guild mark marked in golden ink over my name. "Very good! Very good, you may return when you have news, I wish you luck!" The king cheered, looking overly relieved now that I was on board. These guilds must be giving him quite a lot of grief if he was this happy about them potentially being subdued within the week.

"Yes, good luck." Hisui nodded her head, gracefully bowing her head so I curtseyed before leaving the hall, striding straight past the guards who were meant to be escorting me and flew out of the city, already with my first target in mind.

I had memorised the list and all its information, eyes narrowed as I flew along the coast until I'd reached a town further north-east, one that had a dark guild under its tyrannical thumb. The people were being harassed, beaten, robbed and even driven out of their homes by this guild, the thieves and plunderers calling themselves the Black Pearl Smugglers. Of course they were easy to locate, as they reeked of salt, sweat and bad taste.

In fact, they were in the middle of a raid when I came across the town, so I dropped down from above and powered my fist into the earth, causing it to tremble and explode with my Chain Reaction magic, trapping each target in a blast which made them yell in shock as they were tossed upwards then dropped down into the ground, stunned whilst the villagers, fled, untouched.

"Who are you?!" One of the guild members demanded, pointing a weapon at me however with a flick of my wrist, the weapon flew from his hands and I slowly turned around.

"I am the one who has been ordered to clean out you vermin. Now, shall we do this the easy way, or are you going to make your arrest difficult?" I questioned. They all charged me at once so I smirked, allowing the light to flow around me as I called on my best battle form, wings and spear appearing in hand as the metal sliced effortless through the air. "Difficult it is then." Without another word I plunged my spear into the ground, causing another powerful blast and with that, my work began.


	21. Chapter 21

Much can change in a year, yet it went by so quickly. Mavis and I spent practically every day together on Tenrou Island, where I mastered a new magic that I knew would be the key to defeating my father in time to come, though Mavis informed me that before I could face my own demons, I would be needed in order to defeat a new enemy that would soon be upon us. I suspected she meant Acnologia as well as Zeref, but I knew better than to ask as the one time I did, she had gone dark and brooding for an entire day before she recovered.

My steps were soundless and graceful as I walked barefoot on the grass. It was a habit I had picked up from Mavis and I could understand why she preferred bare feet as it was rather enjoyable. My hair flowed loosely like a river of pure midnight black, shimmering from its recent wash. My usual clothes had become worn out from overuse in work, so I had elected to mend them but then fold them away for another time, choosing to spend my days in my long green skirt and a white blouse which sat just off my shoulders with loose sleeves which then gathered at my wrists.

It was a peaceful day and I walked alone, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on my skin and taking in the fruity smells of the air around me. I was in such a tranquil state that I almost missed my communication lacrima bleeping at me, but my sharp hearing caught onto the sound and I blinked, reaching into my pocket to pull it out. It was a message from Lucy, she'd been reunited with Natsu and Happy and now they were reviving Fairy Tail. She was asking me to come back.

Come back? But my healing was not yet complete. Mavis said that it could be another year before I was completely healed, however if Fairy Tail was being brought back then there was no way I could miss the reunion. Besides, I am healed enough now that I am back to my old strength with even more magic than before. I felt like I could take on a thousand dragons by myself, though I knew in reality it would be unwise to do so. Turning around I returned to my camp where I found Mavis standing in the centre, smiling softly at me.

"It is time for you to go, young one. Spread your wings and let Fairy Tail guide your way." She murmured before fading from sight, giving one last smile in farewell until I felt her presence disappear.

"Thank you First Master." I murmured to her in the utmost respect and gratitude before gathering everything together. I had not brought much, so it all fit back into my bag and soon enough, I was ready to fly. Lucy had said everyone was meeting back in Magnolia. I hope the others return also. I will be heartbroken if they had decided to move on with their life and forgot all about the guild. We always worked best as a family and my happiest memories were all made in that place.

The day was still young, so I rose up into the air and flew away from the island, glancing back to see it gradually reduce itself into the distance before it was swallowed by the horizon. The glimmering sea was my only companion until I finally saw Magnolia in the distance. The cathedral spire shone brightly, the city remained peaceful, however as I landed on the docks and started to walk myself back to the guild, I took the time to familiarise myself with my surroundings.

The ocean air filled my nose as I inhaled, walking calmly down a street that I had walked countless times before. Nothing had changed, yet it felt a little strange to be back, almost as if something was different however as I walked, I realised I was the one who had changed, not the city itself. I felt a little out of place, as if I did not belong but, when I approached the guild and saw everyone gathered there, I stopped and stared to drink in the moment.

My eyes were wide, staring at beloved faces as their smells intermingled in a delicious mass which brought a warm comfort to my chest. Relaxing, I fell into an effortless smile as I approached where Lucy stood, crying with joy as we stood before our guildhall. "I'm back!" She sobbed, holding her hands in her face, however when Natsu noticed that I was standing behind them all, he gave a broad grin and waved.

"Hey Fae, what's up?"

"Fae? Fae's back?" Instantly everyone turned around to see me there, greeting them all warmly as a soft chuckle escaped me.

"It is good to see everyone again." I said, looking over their bright faces, noticing even the most subtle of changes. "I'm glad we're home."

"Fae!" Lucy ran to me, still sobbing and she flung her arms around me as her face buried itself into my chest, crying against me as I enfolded my arms around her and rubbed her head affectionately. "I'm so glad you're here, it's been months…I thought you'd disappeared…but then I finally got a message through…my lacrima broke so I had to…" She couldn't get the words out so I lifted her chin, noticing that I now stood a little taller than her so I had to lift her head so that our eyes could meet.

"Everything is alright now, Lucy." I assured her before I took her hand and led her over to the gates, everyone parting was to let us through as we stood before our guild.

"Hey, wasn't this all blown up when we left?" Natsu questioned and Erza smacked him on the head for reminding everyone about what had happened.

"I rebuilt it when everyone else had gone." I explained, reaching out and touching the barrier that I had sealed over the guildhall. "Then I enchanted it so that no one could get inside unless they had the Fairy Tail guild mark." Nodding to Lucy we both lifted our hands and pressed them against the centre seal at the gate, making a light burst outward and everyone stood back and watched in wonder as the seal lifted away, opening up the guildhall once more.

"That's so cool!" Happy cheered and I laughed as he swooped overhead, greeting me with a request for fish so I promised that once I had the kitchens up and running, fish would be the first thing on the menu. Everyone filtered inside, racing about to claim seats and familiarise themselves with the hall, reminiscing and starting to tell stories of the best adventures we'd all had.

Mirajane and I embraced when we saw one another before together starting up the kitchen, sending Lisanna and Elfman to fetch some supplies as everyone laughed and cheered. I stepped back and allowed the good atmosphere to wash over me. It had not changed one bit, not even a year later. "So what do we do now? We have to get Fairy Tail back on track." Someone called out so Levy stood up, lifting a finger to explain studiously.

"According to protocol, we must file a request to reform Fairy Tail with the magic council. I can sort out the details, however there are some things we'll have to take care of before we can do so." Just like Levy, straight to the point and factual. "We need to discuss who is to be the seventh guild master until Master Makarov returns!" There was a mixed response, everyone instantly voicing their opinions as I dried off a tankard.

"Surely as it is only a temporary position, anyone would do?" Carla reasoned smartly as she sipped a cup of tea that I had made her, sitting on the bar counter as I leaned against it next to her.

"Perhaps, but you have to remember Carla, we are quite a rowdy bunch." I said with amusement as a fight broke out between the boys, started of course by Natsu, who else? "The Seventh will have to be someone who can keep everyone in check. After all, the Sixth was always having to settle down disputes." I noted, putting down the tankard I'd dried then picked up a waitressing tray, casually holding it front of Carla just as a cup flew at her but it bounded off harmlessly.

"Goodness! You have my thanks." She breathed as the fighting got worse and worse. Oh how I had missed this, I couldn't help but beam happily and enjoy the mass destruction that everyone was joining in on until finally, someone stood up and stomped their foot on the ground.

" _Enough_." Erza was a force to be reckoned with and no less terrifying, her dark glare instantly silencing everyone in the guild. I arched an eyebrow, entertained by the way everyone instantly squeaked in terror and resumed their seats. Levy gave a grin at me and I nodded my head, giving her a wink as she stood up once more.

"Then it's decided, the seventh guild master will be Erza Scarlet!" Shocked by the decision, Erza grew nervous and sweetly bashful, trembling and stuttering as she held out a hand to stop Levy who had already started filling out the forms.

"What? M-Me? When d-did this…"

"There's no one else more suitable, qualified and competent than you." A voice announced suddenly as a person walked through the open doors, approaching us and everyone watched in surprise. I stood up straighter, noticing the insignia on his shoulder and his scent was very faintly familiar, but I could not place it. His face, however, I did recognise though it was a very long time ago since I last saw him, and even then it was very brief. Mest, I thought we would be seeing him again. "I've been biding my time for this very moment, when everyone would once again gather together. Because you are the only ones that can save the sixth master, Makarov." Mest announced and there was a collective gasp.

Mest requested Erza's presence alone and the two of them went down into the crypts, however up here things were becoming a little frantic. "Oh my…" Mira murmured as everyone started to panic, wondering what had happened to the master. "This is not going very well."

"It's alright, I can handle this." I reassured her, placing a brief hand on her shoulder before I clapped my hands, smiling sweetly as everyone turned towards me. "Now, now, let's not become anxious and worry about Master Makarov, he's the toughest of us all so I know that he will be absolutely fine no matter where he is." I said, everyone listening to me as I made sure everyone was paying attention. "Whilst we're waiting, I want everyone to grab a mop, bucket, broom and brush, this place needs to be cleaned spotless as it has a year's worth of dust that needs shifting! Jett, Droy, you boys start on the pool, Macao, Wakaba, start dusting in the library!"

Everyone blinked at me blankly so with a sigh I placed my hands on the counter, a rush of dark energy swarming around me as my eyes turned red. " _Do I need to repeat myself?"_ I asked but everyone ran to do as they were told.

"No ma'am!" A chorus answered and I beamed, the energy disappearing as I clapped my hands.

"Excellent! That's more like it!" And so, to keep everyone distracted, I worked them hard to clean up the guild and have it spick and span for when the master returns. Mirajane gave me a look of thanks as everyone bustled around the guild, mopping the floors, sweeping the patio, dusting the rafters and polishing everything in sight as I oversaw everything, getting things back to the way they were.

They were all so busy that they did not even notice Erza, Mest and the others leave. I knew that Natsu, Lucy, Wendy and Gray would tag along, so I simply gave them a nod of encouragement as they snuck out the doors, Happy and Carla glancing back before leaving too. Hopefully, they'll be able to bring the master back.

With everyone so busy, they also didn't notice Gajeel and a few others had left to go find Laxus and the thunder legion. I certainly kept them on their toes. I wonder if mine and Levy's house is still untouched? I had locked it up before I left, so I should probably go check on it. There might be some repairs needing to be done. Additionally, I have a feeling that there is someone else that we're going to need to find.

"Mira, you can hold down the fort here, right?" I questioned as we helped clean up the kitchen along with Bisca, Asuka and Romeo. "I'm going to go and find Gildarts. We'll be needing him soon, I think." Mirajane blinked at me in surprise.

"Gildarts? Well, I'm not sure that anyone knows where he is. Not even Cana could locate him, but of course. I can certainly keep everyone occupied whilst you're away." She affirmed so I thanked her, ruffled Romeo's hair and told him I'd be back soon.

"Ah, can't I come with you big sis?" He asked, following after me to the door.

"Not this time Romeo, I have to travel fast and I need you here to keep your dad and Wakaba out of trouble. Can you do that for me?" I challenged him with a smile, looking down to him lovingly but he only scowled and folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not a kid so you don't have to treat me like one."

"I know that Romeo." I assured him, leaning down and brushing my lips against his cheek, making him blush bright red. "But this is me asking you to be mature and make sure that nothing happens whilst I'm gone, you're going to have to be strong until I get back. Now, can you do that for me little brother?" I asked him again and he relaxed slightly, still a little flustered from my kiss.

"Sure, I can do that. Just hurry back okay?" Nodding my head I brushed my hand against his shoulder before I head out of the guild. This was going to take a while as Gildarts was a very difficult man to find when he wanted to be alone and there was no scent trail for me to follow. I'll have to rely on the old fashioned method of tracking him down but I'll have to do it quickly. Judging by how swiftly events were turning, we didn't have much time.

So, with nothing on my back and with empty pockets, I set out into the wild in search of the infamous Gildarts Clive.


	22. Chapter 22

I followed the trail that Cana had tried to pick up when she'd first tried searching for her father. By asking people I found out that Gildarts had passed through here last year but hadn't been seen again, so I had to go from town to town and request information about a lone wizard with immense magical power and a tendency to break things. With a description like that, it was much easier to gather information.

It turns out that Cana had got pretty distracted from looking and had ended up drinking most of these towns dry before they'd forced her to move on. It made me laugh, poor Cana, she was definitely going to have to detox when I get back. She drinks far too much and it isn't healthy. Perhaps I can persuade her to curb her drinking habit, though I had been unsuccessful in all previous attempts to convince her.

Flying saved me some time, however I was stopping so often that sometimes it made more sense to simply walk and since I had no money with me, most nights I had to make do with the starry night sky as my roof and use a little magic to keep the rain off me should I be unlucky with the weather. It took me several days to find him, all the while I received reports back on a huge army from an enemy nation attacking both Hargeon and Magnolia.

Eventually I found myself at the base of a mountain which I immediately started to ascend, leaping powerfully higher and higher as I finally found a trace of Gildarts's scent. He was very close, I was almost there. What I found, was nothing like I expected. I tracked him to a cave where he was snoring away, surrounded in food remains, magazines displaying naked women, some filthy clothes and the smell suddenly hit me and I retched.

How had I not smelt this from three thousand miles away?! Disgusting! "Gildarts Clive, you get up this minute!" I commanded, placing my hands on my hips and stomped a foot, making the ground shake and instantly Gildarts yelled as he was tossed upwards, hitting his head on the roof of his cave as he then grunted, landing heavily. "Honestly, what would Cana say if she saw you now?"

"Ugh, you know it's bad luck to wake a man when he's dreaming…Fae?" Gildarts blinked, surprised to see me there. "How did you find me?"

"Through no small amount of perseverance, I assure you." I informed him, my nose wrinkling at the smell. "When was the last time you took a bath?" Gildarts gave a bashful grin, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up.

"Well…you see…" He looked scruffy and quite unpresentable. He needed a shave, a haircut and definitely some new clothes.

"Never mind that now, we have to go. The guild is in trouble and I'm pretty sure Cana is going to need your help." I informed him, knowing that hearing Cana was in danger would immediately get him up on his feet and sure enough, Gildarts leaped up with such speed he smacked his head on the cave again, however instead of recoiling he smashed straight through it.

"Cana? What's happened? Is my baby girl alright?" He demanded before attempting to take off. "Daddy's coming baby!" Before he got anywhere, however, I grabbed onto his cloak and restrained him, his feet digging into the ground as he tried to run all the way back.

"Calm down a moment, you desperately need to get your act together." Spinning him around I made him face me before all at once, I slammed a hand against his chest and sent him over the edge of the mountain, making him yell as he descended before hitting the large pool of water at the bottom with a splash. "At least that should take care of the smell." I mused to myself before gracefully descending down, opening out my wings as they appeared and landed at the edge just as Gildarts appeared from the water's depths.

"What was that for?!" He demanded, shaking out his shaggy mane and started to flick the water off him.

"I doubt Cana would want to be anywhere near you when you smell like a rotten corpse. Now, I suggest you make sure that you are clean and ready for battle, because that's exactly where we are heading." I informed him bluntly before holding out my hand, offering it for him to take. "Fairy Tail needs you more than ever, Gildarts. Are you coming?" Gildarts looked at me before a slow grin spread across his face, one that scarily reminded me of Natsu whenever he got fired up over something.

"Count me in." He stated, grasping my hand I pulled him out of the water, placing my hand on his back to take a firm grip.

"I suggest you hold on tight." I said cryptically, smirking to myself before all at once, my wings appeared and we soared upwards with a shot, gliding high into the air before I carried Gildarts back towards Magnolia. We had not been travelling for more than an hour when we were suddenly washed over with light, making me cry out and my flight pattern faltered slightly, throwing me off balance as it overwhelmed me. "What is this?!"

"I don't know, some kind of magic!" Gildarts answered, the both of us yelling as I desperately tried to flap my wings, but the blast had effectively knocked me off course. I held onto Gildarts tightly, instinctively going to shield him but he turned, wrapping me into his chest and prepared to hit the ground but before we did so, the light disappeared. Able to see and the magic no longer present in the air, I managed to flip us around and opened my wings, landing us safely on the ground which now looked completely alien to me. "Where the hell are we?"

"I don't know, but there is a strange magical current running through the land." I murmured as I reached down and pressed my fingers into the earth. "This is still Fiore, but the entire landscape has been changed. Incredible, I did not know there was even a magic that could accomplish such a thing." Standing up again I looked at Gildarts. "We must return to the guild immediately."

"How the hell we supposed to do that? It might not even be in the same place!" Gildarts growled but I merely smiled and reached out, looping my arms underneath his to fly up once more.

"This is not a problem, I can sense the others and they are gathered north of here. Additionally, I can also sense that there are approximately one million strange entities gathered at that same location and there is an immense level of magical power situated in that area. My guess is that's where everyone else will be and so that's what we're aiming for." I informed him, eyes narrowing dangerously. "And if even one hair has been harmed on any of my dear friends' heads…my eyes turned dark red, focused and unshifting as a low growl rumbled in my throat. "I shall tear all of our enemies limb from _limb_."


	23. Chapter 23

My guess was highly accurate as when we flew towards the guild which was now located on a mountain, it was surrounded by enemy soldiers from Alvarez. Most notably, there was one wizard who appeared to be giving my closest friends quite a lot of grief, using several forms of dragon slaying magic. "Drop me here, I'll take out that bastard."

"You break his magic, I'll hit him whilst he's distracted." I answered, releasing Gildarts into the fray just as the wizard, who I suddenly recognised as being one of the ten wizard saints of our kingdom, in fact, he was ranked number one. He was known as God Serena, however I could smell and taste something was off with him. He wasn't alive as there was no heartbeat that I could hear when I honed my senses in on him. Does this mean he was a corpse that had been brought back to life?

It was no matter either was, as the moment Gildarts used his magic to break the attack, everyone was left in a state of confusion as he appeared from the ensuing dust cloud, smirking. "Yo." He greeted as I remained unseen, quietly descending from the clouds. "I'm hungry as hell, so step aside boy. I'm going back to the guild." He informed a rather unimpressed looking God Serena. When I am through with him, he'll go back to being a corpse.

With my feet firmly on the floor I moved with effortless ease, crossing the hundred foot distance and appeared low beneath him, making him yelp and start backwards as I balled a fist and swung it with a small degree of my strength and it powered straight through the abdomen, causing him to scream as he disintegrated into dust. "Fae! You're back! And you brought Gildarts with you!" Lucy squealed happily, throwing her arms around me as I turned, smiling softly down at her. "I'm so glad you're here, now we definitely stand a better chance of winning!"

"I was merely waiting for a grand entrance." I informed her jokingly, hugging her back before I looked up at everyone, seeing that many were severely injured. "Look at you all, you got yourselves into such a mess and you all look so bruised and battered…" My eyes turned dark and red as I looked back at the soldiers who were all backing away from me now, sensing a spike in magical power. "Did you do this to my family?"

I could hear their panic but they answered that fear with blind determination, rushing straight at us in the hopes of overwhelming us through sheer number. "Get them!"

"For Alvarez! For the Emperor!" I cared not how many there were, the only thing that bothered me was the fact that they were now an imminent threat to my friends. Lucy tried to stand up and move forwards to shield me but I held out my arm, giving her a look of reassurance before I stepped forwards.

"Fae don't do anything reckless!" Several voices called out in warning as more and more people arrived to join the fight, more wizards of powerful measure joining the battle but I merely spread my feet wider and faced the soldiers.

"Now, if you do not mind, I must heal my friends. So leave us in peace!" With a fling of my hand, a magical barrier rose up and stretched across the entire valley, separating us from the army and they rammed against the force field which made them rebound, keeping them at bay as I slowly lowering my hand. "Much better." Light began to glow around me, my Healer's Grace form appearing and my tiny wings fluttered sweetly as I hovered above the ground, washed in a warm aura. "Healing Aura." I whispered in a singsong like voice, spreading my arms wide and instantly the light spread out over everyone and the moment the light touched them, their injuries began to heal and their strength returned to them little by little.

"Wow Fae! This healing magic is amazing!" Natsu grinned as he punched a fist into his palm. "I'm all fired up."

"I feel much better, thank you Fae!" Wendy beamed up at me and I couldn't help but hold her close, smiling as I placed a hand on her head.

"It is my pleasure Wendy. Now, is everyone feeling a little more refreshed?" I questioned and a hearty cheer responded, making me grin as I swapped forms, appearing in my powerful Lightning Deity mode, wings crackling with lightning as storm clouds began to gather. "In that case, let us return home to Fairy Tail!" Everyone cheered as I dropped the shield and we all charged forwards, diving straight into battle.

I moved ahead of everyone, charging my power into a huge blast of lightning energy which split a rather large line down the centre of the army, causing a broad panic to ensue as I flew up and started to use my magic against our enemies, keeping an eye on everyone to lend support where needed. I could not release my full power, not with them so close. It would consume them all and now is not quite the time to use drastic measures, Master Mavis had told me before that I would know when it was time to release all the magic I had managed to gather over the past year, but now was not it.

Soon I had to drop down to the ground and fight from below, my teeth grit tightly as my eyes flashed red, causing several soldiers to yelp and back away as I whirled around and with a round house kick in my Aerial Spirit form, sent them flying away. "Hurricane Alpha, Beta…Descend!" I called upon the wind and brought two hurricanes crashing down from the sky, manipulating them to my will as I turned them through the ranks of the rapidly decreasing number of soldiers, not even breaking a sweat as I walked calmly through them, my twin tornados sucking them into their warps and removing them from my presence. How dare they take over our guild? Such sacrilege cannot be forgiven.

And Mavis…I could sense her presence but it was flickering. I sense that she is danger and so I must go to her and make sure she is alright. The only thing was. All that stood in my way were some hundreds of thousands of men. As I walked, a new presence appeared and without warning, my hurricanes themselves froze over as a frigid winter chill suddenly blasted through the air, creating a snow storm as the twin pillars of ice twisted high above me. Incredible, an ice mage managed to freeze my tornados?

I shivered at the cold so turned in my Aerial Spirit for my Ice Queen, instantly feeling the effect of winter disappear as I stood in my beautiful ice form. Even the soldiers were feeling the effects of the snowstorm, however they continued to fight none the less. "Hm. Very well then, if they insist on continuing." I murmured, closing my eyes and feeling a rush of wind brush through me, blissfully cold as my wings spread. "Absolute Zero." Clapping my hands together and pressing my palms against one another, a wide circle spiralled out from around me, freezing solid every soldier it touched, spreading wider and wider as I concentrated, ensuring that my friends were unaffected.

The soldiers became statues, unable to move but unharmed all the same, merely incapable of movement and their magic became nullified, another effect of the ice that I wielded. It froze absolutely everything, including the ability to use magic whilst under my power. "Wow Fae, that's incredible." Romeo breathed as he shivered next to me so I stretched out a wing and folded it around him, guarding him from the cold as I remained severe and focused, unsmiling.

"Our job is not yet finished. There are still many more for us to vanquish before we can return home." I informed him. "If only the person who cast the territory spell appeared…if I could but defeat her, then our home would return to normal and then we would have the advantage of being on our home ground." Stomping a foot, the ground suddenly glowed with bright embers, bubbling as my body shifted into Volcanic Priestess. "I tire of this winter." Lifting my head I twisting my foot into the earth, commanding it in silence.

I drew in a deep breath, clenching my fists before releasing a loud bellow into the sky, the boom exploding outwards and washed away the snow, clearing away the cold as I cancelled it in one move, probably much to the disdain of its caster but for now, I paid no attention to that as there were hundreds more soldiers now turned straight for me and Romeo, who had become separated from the others. "Romeo, make your way back to the rest of the guild, it is safer for you in larger numbers." I ordered him, pushing him behind me.

"I can fight beside you! I'm not a little…"

"Romeo, I know you are not a child, but I cannot fight the way I need to with you so close by. I cannot guarantee I will maintain control." I cut him off, sending him a sharp look which startled him as he noticed the redness of my iris. "Now go, do I as I say." With a swift turn of my head, I allowed more of my magical power to flow free, using it to use Sunlight Radiance. It was nearing midday, which mean it would soon be at optimum level of power.

I used it to become as bright as I could be, spreading my arms and turning as I rose up, blinding the enemy and they all cried out as they tried to shield their eyes from the radiance of my form. My wings flapped once, intensely golden and bright as I looked down upon the army that stood in my way. "Starlight Explosion." My voice was quiet and soft yet terrifyingly powerful, my hand directing downwards and shooting beams of light shot from me, exploding into the ground to cause a mass effect which began to blast through the entire army, shrinking its size down further.

My power was almost at its zenith. At exactly midday, I could use my most powerful move in this form and with it, I might be able to take out at least half of the enemy forces. My guild mates depended on me, I cannot allow them to be hurt further so with a calm flick of my hand I summoned protective shields around them all individually, even our allies as they joined our side. Just a few more moments.

"Get her!" Several voices yelled and attacks were aimed at me but I swept a wing and knocked them all aside, cancelling them out as I then distorted the light around me, making it impossible to look directly at me and the men all yelled and moaned, unable to locate me as they blinked in confusion. Light was a very powerful ally. Suddenly I felt a magical surge rush through me as midday came and instantly I flew a little higher.

"Zenith's Light, Pure Brilliance of Day…Shine Infinite!" My voice cast out across the land, echoing in loud thunders and delicate whispers as I opened my eyes to reveal molten pits of gold, hardened and angered as I faced my enemy.

The light from the sun intensified and raindrops of gold began to fall to the ground, sparkling prettily however when they touched the ground, they began to create a pool of reflective water tinged with gold which grew brighter and brighter until it started to become too bright to behold and I stood above them all, terrible and powerful like an angel of death come to fetch them to the afterlife. I heard as they screamed, a flash of searing pain taking them over as light filled their world before they disintegrated from the harshness and all at once, the spell ended and left no trace behind.

With the ground before us now cleared, I slowly lowered myself down to the ground and returned to my own form. I was a little grazed and I was singed from using such a high measure of magical power, however I was unharmed and my cracks did not even show as they had been reduced to a simple pale silver scar over my heart like a broken china doll, though it faded as I sealed away my own magic, reducing the amount I emitted as not to frighten anyone.

Behind me people were silent so I looked around, allowing the protective shields to drop as I stood in my skirt and blouse, smiling to everyone. "Sorry, I may have got a little carried away." I blushed slightly. "Is everyone alright?" They continued to stare so I blinked, turning to face them properly. "What? Is there something on my face?" Without warning Fairy Tail suddenly cheered, flinging themselves at me with tears of joy and I blinked, going stiff as numerous arms were thrown about me before I laughed. "Oh you guys, you're all such softies." I told them all affectionately as Sabretooth also appeared, Sting comically also joining the hug though he somehow managed to get me all to himself.

"That was so cool! You have to teach me that kind of magic, it's so awesome! As the White Dragon I'd be unstoppable!" He grinned, hugging me tightly and rubbing his face into mine rather enthusiastically until Rogue pulled him off.

"Idiot." He muttered to his master as Sting continued to grin, making me smile at them both. We were awarded a brief rest as the troops ahead of us reformed their lines but of course, soon enough they were on the march and advancing towards us. I stepped forward to meet them but Master Makarov gripped my wrist carefully, looking up with stern eyes.

"Child, are you not pushing yourself too far?" He asked but I just smiled.

"No need to worry about me Master, I've spent the past year healing on Tenrou Island, I am more or less my old self now and my injury is stable. It won't break any further, you have my word." I reassured him, patting his hand before I started to walk forwards, a breeze catching my skirt. "And besides, I am fighting to protect my friends and guild. To me, there is no greater blessing that I could ask for. If I could give you all just one more day of peace, even if it cost me my life, then I would gladly make that sacrifice." Jett and Droy started to cry, sobbing together at my words, touched.

"Fae, you're the greatest! We love you so much!" They chorused together and I couldn't help but feel a warm glow as I stopped, taking a deep breath. My magic might be the only thing that can stop these Spriggan Twelve from hurting my friends. I do not doubt them, but if I can act as their shield, then I will do so willingly. I will take as many of these enemies down with me, no matter what it may cost. I will pay any price, any price at all.

Suddenly I heard people cry out from behind me and I looked up as I heard them claim about a giant eye in the sky. Sure enough, a huge eye looked down upon us all and I felt a voice cause the air to tremble, whispering softly yet with a darkness that made most quake in fear. "Mavis…no matter where you run or hide, in the end it matters not. None can hope to escape from my gaze." Mavis, they were after Mavis. Instantly I clapped my hands together, activating one of the new magic abilities I had developed by spending so much time with Mavis on Tenrou island. I became quite adapt at being able to locate her no matter where she was on the island, so I searched for her now.

"Fae! Find the First, make sure she is unharmed!" Makarov ordered, however before I could answer, I felt her presence close by and sure enough, a giant illusion of her appeared over us, standing tall and proud as she spoke with an ardent determination which made my core tremble and rise in answer to her call.

"I've no intention of running or hiding! That ground on which you stand is our guild, it belongs to us! And we shall take if back from you, without fail! My comrades, if my voice reaches you, head my call! Join together and fight, your blades…your strength…entrust them to I, the Fairy Tactician, and I shall guide you to victory!" Mavis declared and there was a resonating roar in answer, raising the morale of everyone on the battlefield.

"Fae, find her." Makarov ordered again and I nodded, turning and springing off my foot, causing the ground to crack underneath the strength of my movement as I leaped over several people, hair flying behind me like a blanket of shadow before I raced into the treeline, heading straight towards where I could sense the First Master.

"Mavis! Master Mavis!" I called out, pausing to hone in on her location and I was glad to find that she was not far away and she was with Mest. "First! It's me, Fae! I'm coming." Speeding off again I did not stop running until I had found them, Mest recovering from using so much magical power transporting people about the place and Mavis stood with him.

"Faerie, it is good to see you, young one." She greeted with relief. "We must hurry at once to the battlefield!" She declared. "Can you carry Mest?" At the suggestion Mest looked up in alarm, making to protest but I was already moving over to him.

"Of course master." I answered, not paying attention as Mest gulped and lifted him up with one arm to perch him on my back, shifting his weight so that I could carry his weak body comfortably. "Do not worry Mest, I will keep you safe."

"Um…thanks." He stuttered, struggling to keep conscious as I turned and led Mavis back to the battle, though it took a little longer as she could not keep up with my speed and although she tried her best to run, eventually I stretched out a free hand and lifted her up too.

"Both of you, hold on." I suggested before taking off, using the power of my legs to send us flying forwards with numerous springs, crossing the distance in no time as Mavis gasped aloud, gripping onto me tightly until I set her down on the outskirts of the battlefield. My eyes widened slightly in alarm upon seeing the soldiers had been turned into beserkers and my friends…my friends were fighting so diligently. "No!" I gasped and dashed forwards, growling as I swung a fist and powered it against one of the berserkers that had come at Bisca's back, sending it flying into several others.

I joined the fight using physical force alone, my rage enough to take down any that stood in my way. Droy was down and unable to stand as four berserkers gunned straight for him but I appeared at his side in a flash, throwing out my hand and their heads exploded at my command, sending them flying backwards as I provided cover for Jett to get Droy out of there along with Gajeel, the two of us eventually standing back to back.

"You still hanging in there feather brains?" He asked in his growling voice, our backs pressed against one another as my eyes darted around, locating each target within range and which were the most threatening.

"Better than you, you look terrible." I answered him, frowning slightly. "I sense there is dark matter in you. What happened?"

"Long story. Basically tangoed with the devil." Gajeel responded sarcastically before clubbing some of the berserkers as they tried to leap at him. "Wouldn't happen to have any spare iron lying around, would ya?" He asked so with a flash my body changed so that I was clad in armour and my metal wings sliced outward with a ring as each blade made a single feather.

"Bon appetite." I invited as I gave my wings a flick and shed some of the metal feathers, allowing Gajeel to snatch them up and scoff them down for a power boost as I covered his back, stomping the ground and sending a shock wave through it in order to open up a little room.

"Iron Dragon…ROOOAR!" His stomach comfortably full, Gajeel had a surge of energy which he used to take on the berserkers, however I sensed a shift in power and looked over towards Master Makarov who was standing in a very familiar stance.

"So this is where it finally comes to an end…my long journey…" An end? What is he talking about? Suddenly it clicked in my head as Mavis came rushing forwards, alarm in her eyes. Fairy Law was a powerful magic, however it had its drawback, as Mavis cried out to Makarov, I felt my heart begin to shiver and shudder in my chest.

"No! Your journey does not end here…Fairy Law is a magic which shaves away at one's very life in direct proportion to the amount of enemies on which it is cast! If you use it on such a large force, your body will not be able to endure it!" I should have remembered, Master Mavis had taught me about the three powerful Fairy Magic and their laws, Master Makarov can't do this!

"First, I am well aware of that fact. I beg of you, do not stop me. The time has come for me to make my grand exit." Not if I can help it! I started to make my way towards Makarov, desperate to reach him and convince him not to follow through with his plan however I was caught off guard by one of the berserkers and it slammed into me, claws slicing through the flesh of my abdomen and I couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Fae no!" Several voices cried out in alarm as I hit the ground, however my hand slammed into the earth before I could crumble, flipping me upright.

"Chains of Binding!" I roared and chains flew up from the earth, tangling themselves around the berserkers one by one as I allowed my magic to flow into the ground, snaking them around their legs, bodies and arms to restrain them even as their writhed and tried to break them. "I can't hold them long, get the wounded out of here!" I shouted, gritting my teeth as I clutched my bleeding stomach with my spare hand.

"I have a plan!" Master Mavis was shouted, still trying to run to Makarov. "I've formulated a strategy which ensures our escape from this dire situation."

"ENOUGH!" Makarov's roar startled me, momentarily making me lose my focus and some of the berserkers escaped from my clutches but Gajeel quickly pinned them down, not allowing them to get close to the weak and injured. "My precious little brats are suffering right before my eyes! They're being beaten and bruised on this hellish battlefield as we speak. To you, they may be nothing more than soldiers you can manoeuvre, but to me, these brats are my irreplaceable children…" Tears started to rise to my eyes as I listened to the master's words. He meant them, to him we were all his children and I could just feel the love he held for each and every one of us.

"That's…not…"

"I know it all too well! If we but follow your plan, we will surely seize the momentum and come out victorious. But that does not matter! I cannot bear to stand idly by nad watch my children's blood be shed a moment longer!" Makarov's sheer force of well caused the air to quake as volumes of his vast magical power began to unfold. "With the last remaining years of this old soldier's life, if I can use them to create a bright future for these brats, well. Then at least I know what I must do. My job is a simple one."

"Master, please reconsider!" I begged off him, lifting my blood stained hand away from my stomach to try and reach out for him but a berserker landed a blow into my back, making me cry out as I was buried into the dirt, a foot grinding into my head and the chains began to break as the berserkers' pure strength ripped them apart. Still, I forced myself to lift my head, tears overflowing as I felt my entire body begin to rip apart in anguish.

"I have no regrets." Makarov informed us all, smirking as the light began to beam outwards and the magic in the air intensified. "All of you. Be well." His hands slammed together and the brightness enveloped us all, seemingly caressing me in warmth as the berserker on my back melted away and I felt the warmth touch my soul as I lay there crying, sobbing for the master who had only ever treated me with kindness and understanding.

"Master…" I whispered, struggling to rise up as the light disappeared to reveal his smoking form left barren and empty. "You were…the only person…who I saw as…a father…" I struggled, crawling towards him and forcing myself to stand even as I continued to lose blood. "Please…forgive me…forgive me!" Pressing my hand into my face, the salt of my tears blending with the blood until the overflowing emotion became too much for my body to handle, grief threatening to tear my seams wide open and the rush of magical power surged through me as red eyes blazed brightly and a dark mass shot upwards into the sky. "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" All of my rage and wrath poured into the heavens, causing lightning to flash and a flood of rain to pour down on us all as wings of pure black shadow formed, however not according to any form I held. They were a manifestation of my emotion and they carried all the pain I felt, all the sorrow, the dark matter swirling around me as gale winds crossed the entire valley, reaching even the guildhall which still remained so far away.

"Fae." A soft voice spoke, echoing in my mind and I managed to look and see Levy standing against the wind. She was crying too, struggling to keep grounded however she stretched out her hand, offering it to me to take even as the wind threatened to rip her away. Instantly my magic subsided, rushing back to me as I forced a lid over my emotions and kept them better under control. My eyes faded back to amber, the wings of misery disappeared and although it continued to rain, the storm eased a little.

I reached out and Levy took my hand, the two of us stepped into each other's arms, shoulders trembling and shaking as our hearts trembled under the weight of loss. I have to be stronger than this, I have to carry on for the master's sake. I'll take down this enemy with my own bare hands if I must, I'll bring back the happy days of peace for Fairy Tail and there is nothing on this earth that will stop me. "We'll be alright Levy." I assured her, her head pressed against my chest as she sought comfort from me. "It'll all be over soon." Placing a kiss on her head I lifted her up, easily carrying her over to Gajeel then dropped her into his arms as he yelped.

"What the hell you doing that for?" He demanded to know as Levy blushed but continued to sniffle, hiding her face in her hands so I flung out my hand and pointed directly at Gajeel's nose.

"I'm assigning you as Levy's bodyguard. You hear me? You _will_ protect her at all costs and make sure nothing happens to her. You two are going to stick together and watch each other's backs and when this is all over, you guys _will_ go out on a date!" I announced, making both of them balk and stare open mouthed at me before giving various noises of shock and embarrassment.

"Fae!" I lifted my head high, putting my hands on my hips, ignoring my wound.

"You heard me. I think this war has taught us that time is too short to keep our feelings to one another, so keep those that are precious to you close and do not let them go for any reason." Turning I started to walk away, image flashing into my Healer's Grace to heal wounds and myself as much as I could, though I could sense various spikes of magical power appearing at three different points. No doubt these must be the best of the Spriggan Twelve, I'll go after them and extract my revenge for Master Makarov. I want them to taste the pain that I now carry in my chest.

Healing everyone as much as I could, I then took off to the skies and flew for the closest magical surge, sensing trouble in the air. When I was close enough I dropped down and started to run, breaking through the trees to find Lector, Frosche, Yukino, Kagura and I was surprised to see Angel there as well, all writhing on the floor with tendrils of white wrapping around them as I slowed to a walk, turning my focus on the one who had them writhing with moans of what I believed to be a mixture of pain and pleasure.

"Release my friends you vile wretch." I ordered as I entered his vision, my long hair sweeping about my neck as I found the man standing before my friends. He was tall and well built, with pure white hair and orange eyes which looked at me with a passive smirk. My hand shot out and swept an arc, sending out my magic in a quick burst to shatter the tendrils that held everyone down, releasing them immediately and they exhaled with relief, relaxing as I stepped forwards with a wide stance, prepared to fight to protect them.

"It's you…I'm so glad you're here…" Lector breathed as he cracked one eye open to look up at me.

"Do not worry, I won't let this scoundrel lay even one more finger on any of you." I vowed, the breeze rising slightly as if in response to my words. "He will not take another step closer."

"And who are you to stay whether or not I shall walk forwards?" He challenged in a smooth voice, a slight halo of light surrounding him but it was cold and unwelcoming, making me want to shiver and turn away from him. The enemy lifted a foot and made to step forwards, however I moved before he could even blink. My face suddenly appeared in front of him and with a firm crack of my elbow, broke his nose and sent him stumbling backwards.

"My name is Fae. I am a proud S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail and I am here to deliver your sentence." My rage began to burn deeper, my breathing increasing as my heart rate grew slower. "Believe me when I say this. You will never understand the depths of the sorrow I now carry and it is all your doing. You and your fellow people of Alvarez and I shall not rest until I have cast you all into the depths of hell." The man never fell, however regained his balance and returned a dark yet still passive look upon me.

"Hell? Why suffer in darkness when you can be surrounded with light?" He questioned before spreading his hands. "Bask in the pure white glory of pleasure!" White tendrils shot out from the ground and snatched my waist, wrapping me tightly in their cold grip but I felt no effect, no pain, pleasure or anything of the sort. I frowned then arched an eyebrow.

"I do hope you are joking." I informed him before clenching my fists and gritting my teeth a little to then force the tendrils to break off me, using my sheer physical strength to release myself from their grasp. "Who are you?"

"I am Larcade Dragneel. The son of Zeref." He introduced and instantly I stood up straighter, sniffing the air. Why had I not noticed it before? He smelled exactly like Natsu. "If you truly are a member of Fairy Tail, then you will know my kin, Natsu Dragneel. I suppose he is effectively my uncle." Larcade mused thoughtfully but I did not care for his absent minded ramblings.

"Whether you are related or not, I do not care. You are my enemy and therefore I must crush you. I cannot afford to hesitate!" Spreading my arms I felt a familiar warmth spread through me before I felt myself being clad in amber armour, wings spreading wide as they gleamed viciously and I opened my hand to accept the spear that appeared with it. "Let us battle."

Larcade smirked further, making to step closer but I quickly struck him at the abdomen with my spear, having moved too fast for him to respond. "Did I not say you would take no step closer?!" I reminded him with a snarl, striking him again to send him flying away and I twirled my spear, aiming the tip directly for him and released a powerful blast but he deflected it, still not falling as he maintained his footing.

Blades of light were shot at me and I was quick to send them all back but even when several clipped me, no effect became apparent. Was his magic just for show? I do not understand how I did not feel anything whenever it touched me. "Interesting, no human should be able to resist the urge to feel the sensation of pleasure."

"Perhaps I am not an ordinary human being." I suggested, standing tall and proud like a sentinel. I hated how that smirk seemed constantly glued to his features, as if silently mocking me. Just wait until I smear it from his lips and leave him broken and useless on the ground.

"No matter, it is certain that none can resist the sensation of starvation and hunger." He informed, making me blink, unsure of what he was going to do before suddenly his fingertips glowed with light, eyes focused on me. "Soul of the Forbidden Meal!" Once more I felt nothing happen to me, my stomach did not give even a single rumble so I just looked blankly at my opponent. I'm beginning to think this was all just a farce. "What? H-How is this possible?"

Slowly, however, I could feel an old sense beginning to creep up from the crevasse of my mind and for a brief moment, I felt a tin flair of panic. It had been years since I had sensed her presence within me, I cannot let her rise now! My panic was short lived as my little demon sank back into sleep, slumbering peacefully where I carefully kept her locked away so that she may never break free. Though perhaps it made sense. With her presence in my mind, it must be her senses that are keeping me from feeling the effects of this magic.

Politically, I could be viewed as being half demon myself since I carried her inside me. It must be her that keeps me from feeling the effects of human pleasure as she has no need for it. It is because she is there I do not feel hungry, because demons like her do not desire food and sustenance. All they require is the blood of their kills and they are sated. By this point, however, I seemed to have finally gotten under Larcade's skin and he looked at me with astonishment.

"Unprecedented…it cannot be…the desires of humans cannot be resisted!" My fist connected with his face, moving in a soft blur with a ripple of black that was my hair.

"My desires exceed even that of basic human nature!" I declared, baring my teeth as I swung my other fist and it rammed into my opponent's gut, forcing him to cough up blood. "My desire is to protect…to cherish…" Swinging around I gracefully circled my arms, appearance changing in a flash to Aerial Spirit and I sent a blast of air against him to finally knock him to the ground. "Those whom I call family!" My voice resonated with power even as I kept my magical exertion to a minimum. There were still people close by, I cannot allow them to be caught up should I lose control. "To create new memories with my friends and ensure their happiness…this is my desire…it is stronger than my desire for love or food…you cannot possibly ever hope to defeat us if you cannot harness your feelings into your magic." I told him in a slightly softer tone as Larcade coughed, standing up.

I allowed my appearance to change back to one without wings, standing in my regular clothes though they were tattered and blood stained, one of my sleeves was ripped completely and hung helplessly as the white was splashed with scarlet red. "There is one desire that even monsters cannot resist." Larcade spoke, eyes glowering darkly at me before all at once he pointed his fingers up to the sky and a rush of white streams flew around him, paper totems fluttering in the breeze as his voice rang clearly in my head. "The Eternal Sleep of Death, R.I.P!"

Immediately I felt a reaction, my body growing weary and begged to sleep as my eyes started to drag closed. "In slumber you will lie for all eternity, the infinite darkness of death shall claim your soul." Larcade spoke in a smooth voice, almost like a hum. I fought to stay awake, gritting my teeth as behind me, I heard the others groan and their eyes began to flicker.

"No! Do not sleep, do not close your eyes!" I yelled, desperation flaring through me so I lifted my arm back, allowing my magic to surge before all at once, I powered my fist into the ground. My senses instantly sharpened as I focused on connecting to the others, pouring my energy into them to keep them awake whilst simultaneously changing.

Wings of black stretched outward, silky snakes of inky black hair brushing against the ground and a tail slithered as I stood up, cracking a smirk to bare my fangs and ruby red eyes glowed luminously, making Larcade recoil as I groaned in pleasure. "Aah…it feels so _good_ to be a monster sometimes…" I murmured before I rushed straight at him, baring my fangs and roaring with a ferocious snarl, my claws tearing through his flesh and ripped straight through him as my strength suddenly outmatched his.

Larcade sucked in a breath of shock, falling onto his back and the spell vanished as I flexed my wings, glancing at them as they even blotted out the sun with their magnificence. Turning around I whipped out my tail, grasping Larcade about the neck and lifted him off the ground, pulling him to me as he desperately clawed at his throat, trying to pry my whip like tail from him. I hissed softly, tilting my head to see him better with slow and purposefully intimidating movements. "Desire…is _nothing_ …compared to the strength of willpower." My tongue flickered between my teeth, making Larcade recoil.

Suddenly his hand grabbed the cross that he wore on his back and aimed to ram it down into me but my hand stopped it easily, smirking as I clenched my fingers into the object and made it crack before I turned it to dust with my power, magic disintegrating it instantly. "You can just _die_." Without another word I flipped him over my head and buried him into the ground, using my tail as the driving force and created a fresh hole in his chest, making him bellow in agony before he lay weakened and dying on the ground.

I walked away from him, listening as slowly, his heartbeats grew fainter and fainter until there was silence. He was gone. I allowed my wings to fold away, returning to normal as I then went to my friends to make sure that they were alright, touching Yukino's shoulder and turning Kagura over. She was badly wounded.

"You pushed yourself too far." I murmured softly as her eyes slowly fluttered, opening to see me kneeling over her.

"Miss Fae…you…were…victorious?" I smiled gently down at her, placing my hand on her head and began to glow with a soft warmth.

"Of course. Healing Aura." I healed her wounds so that she would stop losing blood, though because of the blood loss she remained weak but Yukino helped to support her, Lector and Frosche eventually waking and they both tackled me with a hug.

"You did it! We knew you'd whoop ass!" Lector cheered as he wept for joy. "You're totally the coolest ever!"

"Fro thinks so too!" I chuckled, hugging them both before putting them down.

"Don't worry, Sting, Rogue and Minerva are coming, I can hear them running towards us so just stay here. I must continue on and help round up anyone who is lost and search for any other berserkers that branched off from the main army. You'll be safe here." I promised them, rising to my feet and started to walk away. "Please, take care of yourselves, it is important that you all live well and long." I informed then, turning my head so that I smiled back over my shoulder. "After all, it's more fun creating memories when your friends are beside you."


	24. Chapter 24

I had not been walking long when a rush of air suddenly hit me and the earth glowed, the entire continent beginning to change and I gasped as the land around me changed until I found myself standing in Magnolia once more. The city was restored and everything was quiet for the briefest of moments until suddenly, I faced an army of berserkers on my own.

There were a couple hundred of them and I could sense that there were others around the city, so I turned to face my new opponents, an angered expression resting on my face as hard eyes looked directly ahead. Wings appeared on my back and I flapped them once, feeling them twitch with anticipation before with a powerful flap, I scattered them to the wind, energy turning them to dust in my wake as I waited until the last speck had fallen before I relaxed.

Today just did not seem to want to end. A tremble in the earth caught my attention, a power rising from darkness and my soul instantly recognised it with hatred. Acnologia. My teeth bared upon instinct but I forced myself to calm down as at the same time, another threat appeared. Someone stood atop Cardia Cathedral, I could feel his presence like a crack of thunder born from previous silence. My spine tingled as he swore to destroy all of Fiore, however before he could do so Gildarts engaged him in battle, destroying the cathedral in the process.

I smacked my face. There's going to be so much cleaning up to do after this and I'm already tired. My magic energy was fine but my physical strength was beginning to fade. I think I'd gone just a little too overboard and not thought about saving my strength to sustain me throughout the day. Even so, I must press on though I shall take it a little slower here on in.

Or at least, that's the sensible side of me saying that. Of course, I powered straight forwards and started to clean the streets of the vermin that had infested our home. Spreading out my arms I turned my hands upwards, white wings appearing gloriously and I flapped them once to stretch them, wind ruffling my feathers as they adjusted subtly before I flew forwards, skimming the ground and banked hard around corners.

It was fortunate that we had managed to evacuate the city before the fighting started, otherwise the casualties would be astronomical by now. As I banked hard around the corner more berserkers came into view so I crossed my arms over my face, tucking my wings in tight as I began to spin like a corkscrew, the wind whipping in my ears as I barrelled into them all at once.

They roared and snarled as they were knocked aside, clawing at the ground as I rose up and hovered above their heads, holding a palm towards them. "Be gone." I commanded in a low voice, eyes sparking with mercilessness. "Chain Reaction. Explode." Their bodies began to glow, making them stop in surprise before all at once they blew up, leaving not one trace behind.

I did not stay to observe my handiwork, there were more still yet to deal with. Their forces may have been greatly reduced but there were still thousands left, I could sense them closing in at the centre of the city so I head straight there, my mind sensing my friends and guild mates were their target so I spread my wings, opening them out to slow myself down before curling one around my body, using my shoulder as my driving force as I slid over the ground and forced my way through the berserker ranks before I flipped my wing out, sending several tumbling in a wave.

"Fae! We're so glad you're here!" Lisanna grinned, panting for breath as she and Elfman stood together. "We're beginning to run out of steam but they just keep on coming." I snapped my fingers as I stood up, trapping everyone inside a magical barrier so that they could not be touched by the berserkers.

"All of you rest easy, you can leave the rest to me." I informed them, unsmiling as I turned to face my enemy. Spreading out a hand ribbons of light wrapped themselves around me, turning my wings to an airy form, delicate and shifting in shape as my dress changed to one of delicate white, baring my legs and most of my body. "Aerial Spirit, Whirlwind's Wrath." Lifting my hands I felt a surge of magic, the wind picking up before raging like the howling wolf, warping like a cyclone and effectively trapped the Berserkers in my net. There was no way they would be escaping now.

Darting forwards I punched through my first target, jumping up to deliver an uppercut before shooting off, a flash of light before I appeared somewhere else. I beat them senseless, sending them into a confusion as I appeared and disappeared on a whim, not allowing anyone to escape as I took them all down one by one, eyes burning red as I released my anger and rage upon them.

To clear out those remaining I spun around, moving my hands rhythmically almost in a dance before slowly pushing my hands forwards, channelling my magical power into my palms and a swirling mass gathered there, the Explosion Magic steadily growing larger and larger until finally, I slammed it into the ground. The earth trembled, a mass of light burning brightly as the explosion rocketed outward in a huge boom, destroying buildings, the street and everything in its wake which included the berserkers.

They cried out and tried to escape but when the explosion settled, they were left lying on the ground motionless, defeated and very much incapacitated. Finally my shoulders slumped, my breathing heavy and laboured as I glanced myself over. I was heavily grazed and bruised, some of the berserkers had managed to land blows and I could feel the pain in my body as I touched my side. I had two broken ribs and I had a laceration to my left thigh, making it difficult to put weight on it. "Finally." I breathed, waving my hand and the force field disappeared, freeing my friends as I slowly began to fall, though a small smile touched my face. I'd protected them. They're all going to be alright. Before I could hit the floor Elfman managed to catch me, easily supporting my weight in just one hand as Lisanna called out my name.

"Fae! Are you going to be alright? You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard, you could have gotten yourself killed." She fussed but my smile only deepened as my eyes beheld the clearing sky, rainclouds gradually disappearing to reveal a beautiful blue ocean above.

"I'd do anything to protect you all…I refuse…to let them hurt you anymore." I murmured before physical exhaustion won out and I fainted from overexertion, my body needing time to recover itself.


	25. Chapter 25

Things were blurry but I could sense desperation around me. There was shouting, I can sense the quickened heartbeats of people around me but as I slowly brought myself round, I blinked. Romeo was holding me with my head in his lap but he was staring up at the sky in absolute terror. What is he afraid of?

Turning my head slowly, I saw the massive jet black form of a dragon, mouth gaping open in a roar as flashed of light began to appear in the sky. Acnologia, he was attacking with Eternal Flare! Mavis had told me of this attack in one of our many conversations, its destructibility could easily eradicate cities to the highest degree.

Suddenly wide awake I spun Romeo around, instinctively shielding him however the attack soared over our heads and struck the port of ships behind us. We must be in Hargeon, underneath the smell of fire I could smell the salt of the sea. "You're awake!" Romeo exhaled in relief as everyone gasped, seeing that all the ships had been destroyed. "We're trying to seal Acnologia away into Fairy's Sphere, but in order to buy time for Lucy and the others to get here we're trying to get him onto a ship so that the motion sickness weakens him." Romeo explained hurriedly as Gray rushed past with Lyon to make a ship of their own.

"Understood." I nodded my head, placing a hand on his head as I started to walk forwards, ignoring any pain and refused to limp, fists balling at my side. Acnologia. Finally you're within my grasp.

"We'll draw him attention, everyone else prepare to use Fairy's Sphere!" Erza ordered however as I passed her and Mirajane, I placed my hands on their shoulders briefly, stepping ahead of them.

"Allow me to be of assistance." I offered, a rush of magical power enveloping me before I spread my wings wide, glowing pearly white. "I have a score to settle with this one, after all…" My eyes burned bright red as I released more magical power, my energy readings climbing higher and higher without sign of stopping. "This monster took my dear friends away from me for seven years."

"Fae!" Erza gasped, alarmed at the swell of power that registered off me. "Where did…" The air trembled and crackled with power, the ground breaking and crumbling underneath my feet as Acnologia prepared another attack, however before he could complete it I soared upwards, sending a wave of shock behind me as I flew straight for him like a blur of white and, without waiting, rammed my body against the underside of his chin, forcibly knocking his teeth together and his shot went wide, completely missing Hargeon and struck the countryside instead.

Not hesitating I spiralled away, spreading my wings then began to lead him back around towards the harbour as Lyon and Gray continued building their ship of ice. Acnologia roared, attempting to clamp down on me with his jaws but I moved at the last moment, skimming over his head then turned to face him as he spun around, growling darkly. Suddenly he ripped his head backwards and tensed his body, making to use another Eternal Flare however I stayed perfectly still, focusing my power before spreading my hands, closing my eyes and began to use my Absorption Magic.

The powerful beams of light came straight at me, however as I absorbed the entire attack, engulfing it into the void of my body and I felt a surge of magical power as my body began to change, reacting to accommodate the vast amount of power it now contained. My body remained the same, however I felt my wings suddenly begin to burn with a rush of light and white flames, my skin glistening as if I had become encased in diamonds, sparkling in the sun and I opened my eyes as the last attack became absorbed, smirking to myself.

"I have never felt so…indestructible. You truly are a wealth of power." I murmured before giving a roar, my voice calling to the heavens as I deflected the attack back at twice the power. The attack looked as if an asteroid field was descending from outer space, the entire sky burning with flaming light as I guided each attack around to strike Acnologia from behind or above. As long as it was not a direct attack, he could not consume it.

Mavis had said that magic had no effect on him as he could just consume it, so there were only three options. Strike him in his blind spots, attack with physical force alone or use non offensive magic. Flying forwards I engaged in battle once more, moving at high speeds to avoid being eaten or caught by him, though he did not lack in effort. He chased after me, using a breath attack however I shielded myself against it and moved away in time, the attack shooting off into the sky harmlessly as everyone below cheered.

Erza called out to me, signalling that the ship was ready so I twisted around, flying in a high arc before I flapped my wings to shoot forwards and I landed on Acnologia's snout, smirking as I looked straight into his eyes. My wings still burned brilliantly with white flame, soft and hypnotic but when I spun around and hit both eyes with my wings, he ripped back his head and roared in pain, blinded and momentarily stunned so I took my chance, racing down his spine to then wrap my arms around his tail, beating my wings with their full strength to start pulling him around.

I yelled through my teeth at the effort of moving him, swinging him with all my strength before with a final blow, I flung his body over my head and dropped him directly onto the ice ship in the water, breaking the mast but otherwise it held. "Now everybody, release all your magical power!" Lucy yelled and I looked down to see light engulf the people who stood in two circles, making me start in surprise as Lucy led the spell. "Fairy Sphere…ACTIVATE!" Lucy crushed her palms together and a rush of magical energy began to beacon upwards.

The water of the ocean swirled, bowing to the superior power of my friend's magic, however as the sphere formed, Acnologia rose and began to batter himself against it, trying to break free and I heard him roar. "IT WILL NOT WORK!" Alarm gripped my chest as I landed, white wings of heavenly fire disappearing as I hobbled a little weakly towards everyone, once more exhausted and weakened. That Absorption spell had used up a lot of my magic just to accommodate Acnologia's, but if more magical power was what they needed then I can help them.

Just as I stretched out my hand, a pink mark appeared at my wrist, shining softly and a heat flared up at its appearance. "Let's use the magic of the entire continent, then!" Meredy smiled, catching Lucy's attention as she lifted her arm to display the chain link. "Sorry I'm late." She winked. "The connected magical power of everyone will be gathered here." She informed us all and I felt my magic surge, a crack of thunder bellowing above as suddenly the circle reignited, light spearing upwards as Lucy gasped.

"Amazing!"

"Use all our magical power!" Mirajane called out as everyone started to yell from the strain and effort of giving it everything they had.

"Do it now Lucy!" Erza called as others yelled determinedly. Lucy returned her focus, spreading her feet wide before pressing her palms together, standing as if in prayer and a warmth began to spread through me, erasing the sensation of pain.

"Fairy Sphere!" The golden orb surrounded Acnologia, trapping him inside upon the ice ship and his roar was cut off as he froze in place, imprisoned. I couldn't help but feel a slight sense of satisfaction to see him so defeated. As the light faded from around us I stepped closer, smiling warmly as I pulled Erza and Mirajane to me.

"We did it." I sighed with relief, however after a few moments the dragon began to fall apart, breaking with huge cracks before all at once he shattered, leaving behind no trace at all. "He's gone!" I gasped, standing up a little taller as everyone began to chatter in astonishment.

"We did it!" Happy cheered and I saw Lucy sniff, tears in her eyes as she turned to look at us all.

"Yeah. Natsu and the others won!" I had never felt so relieved and elated at once, though weariness strained my body and I was still in pain, I couldn't help but throw my fist into the air and cheer along with everyone else, my smile splitting across my face as I jumped up. The joyfulness and celebration of everyone was immeasurable as we all went to one another, embracing and beaming as we finally defeated our last enemy.

Above us I heard a crack and several of us who heard it looked up, seeing the split in the sky and the seven dragon slayers fell out as someone released confetti into the air. I smiled again, stretching up my arms and caught Wendy as her arms flailed and she cried out, however when she felt my arms stop her fall she opened her eyes and blinked at me. "Fae!" She suddenly beamed then flung her arms around my neck, embracing me tightly. "We did it!"

"You were amazing Wendy, you should feel so proud of yourself." I informed her softly, breathing in her softly sweet scent before I set her down as Carla and Chelia came running towards her. As I turned to move away, I blinked, noticing something different about Chelia. "Chelia, I cannot sense any magical power from you. What happened?" I questioned gently, stopping the three's reunion embrace as Chelia froze then turned her head a little sheepishly.

"When we were battling that Spriggan, Dimaria, she turned out to be a user of God Soul magic…anyway you see it happened like this…" She explained it all to me, about how they had fought her off in her own timeline, where Ultear was able to appear. I was startled but continued to listen, surprised that Ultear had been able to be present.

"So you lost your magic?" I repeated, standing up a little as Chelia nodded. Third origin, quite extraordinary. However, I could see and sense the sadness that Chelia felt at not having magic anymore, however as I leaned a little closer and inhaled her scent, I caught a small spark of something inside her, very delicate and small but still there all the same. "How would you feel if I told you I could return your magic?" I asked her.

Chelia's eyes lit up and Wendy gasped. "You can do that Fae? Could you really?" She questioned so I smiled.

"Theoretically yes, I have an idea, however I cannot be certain it will work. You see, by opening your Third Origin you gained power that you could potentially wield in the future, however by using it so early your body was unable to contain the vast amount of magical power and expelled it all at once, therefore exhausting your entire magical supply and left you without any more magic." I explained studiously, smiling as everyone continued to celebrate around us. "Now, I have only read about the theory of Third Origin, however I suspect that it is still possible for you to regain your magic, you just need a little help."

"Can you do it? Can you really do it?!" Chelia questioned, gripping Wendy's hand tightly as she smiled. "I don't mind being without magic, but if you can help me then I'd be so grateful!" Reaching forwards I pulled all three of them into my arms, smiling as their faces only just came to my chest, though Carla was already being held in Wendy's arm so she found herself pressed into my stomach.

"In return for you saving Wendy and helping to protect us all against Alvarez, I say you have more than earned a reward." I said to her before I let them go. "Now, you will not regain all your powers at once, think of this as a reset. You'll have to train hard and work on building back up your magical power from the very beginning." I explained to her and she nodded her head, eyes glittered excitedly. "Wendy, I am going to need your help. Since you possess a magic similar to what Chelia had, I'll need you to be the guide."

"Of course! Please instruct me Fae." She said with a cute bow so I chuckled.

"It is nothing difficult, all you must do is hold hands with Chelia. Carla, you too. I will rely on all of your memories of Chelia's magic in order to strengthen the bond Chelia's body has with her magic. Please do this now." They immediately wrapped themselves up together, smiling as they pressed foreheads together and started to think about all their memories together. No doubt their battle at the Grand Magic Games was a prominent feature. "Alright. This may feel strange, Chelia, but do not fight me." I warned her.

"I won't, I promise!" She grinned, still pressing her eyes closed and I could see her squirming in excitement. Stepping closer I placed my hand on her shoulder and my other on Wendy's, summoning my own magic and a soft glow began to surround us, delicate sparkles rising into the air and a magic circle appeared underneath our feet. I hope my theory is right. Ordinarily it would be impossible to return magic to someone who had opened their Third Origin, however somehow Chelia had managed to retain just a fraction of her magic, possibly by burying it deep in her heart. The power of love was an extraordinary thing. It was the unifying magic, after all and I depended on the love Carla and Wendy had for Chelia to be the key to unlocking her powers again.

"Now, focus on your feelings. Remember how it felt to use your magic, hold onto it and let it rise upwards." I instructed Chelia, closing my eyes and began to shift my magical power into her. I located the tiny fragment of magical power that she had managed to keep, barely more than a molecule, however I worked it open, filling her with more magic as the memories flashed in my own mind. I saw the two of them playing together, training together, standing on a stage performing together. They had done so much as best friends, Carla at their side every step of the way.

Exhaling softly I heard Chelia give a little moan of discomfort, the swelling sensation of her magical container causing her chest to feel tight and blindly hot but she held on, gritting her teeth as I continued to pour magic into her, drawing it from the atmosphere and once it was as full as I could make it, sealed it away with a whispered enchantment. With this completed, I let go and stepped back, the magic circle disappearing and Chelia instantly slumped but I was prepared and caught her, sitting down with her head against my shoulder as both Carla and Wendy gasped in alarm.

"Chelia!"

"She's alright." I reassured them, supporting Chelia's weight and kept her comfortably in my arms. "She just needs a moment to adjust, the magic is settling in her body and it might take a while before it calms down." Carla blinked at me.

"That was amazing, how on earth did you do it?" She asked me so I told them.

"By using you two as an anchor, I was able to locate the remains of Chelia's magic within her body. Luckily, opening her Third Origin had not exhausted it all, possibly because she had either not needed that last little drop to defeat her opponent or perhaps because her body was strong enough to support just that miniscule amount within her. I drew in ethernano from the atmosphere into my body through Absorption Magic and transferred into her. I was not able to give her much, however through training and practice she will be able to deepen her own magical reserves and in a few years, will be back to her old strength."

"Amazing!" Wendy breathed. "You are so clever Fae, thank you so much!" I smiled at Wendy, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Not at all. Chelia was lucky, if that last piece of magic had not been there, there would have been nothing I could have done." I admitted though just then, Chelia began to stir. "Though…I might have to warn you." I said as she blinked and opened her eyes to see me smiling down at her. "I compensated some of your magic with my own to provide a seal that will ensure that your magic will not simply drain away again after use." I explained and she blinked at me again before a light appeared around her, making her gasp.

"What's happening?!" She cried out in alarm but as I stood up and set her on her feet, the light disappeared and a pair of small wings appeared on her back. "Oh! I have wings! Aren't they the cutest?!" She squealed, hands clutching her face as her smile broadened. "Why do I have wings?!"

"Angel Soul is my primary magic." I answered her, lifting a hand as she spun around, straining to see her small cherub wings as Wendy and Carla giggled and laughed happily. "By allowing you some of my own magic, you will be able to continue using you Sky God magic, however let's just say my own magic left an imprint, therefore you seem to now be able to call your own wings." Chelia made them flutter, trying to fly however she was barely able to lift herself off the ground and she flailed, yelling in surprise as she clumsily drifted to the left and right before dropping to the ground once again. "It'll…take a little getting used to." The wings disappeared in a flash and Chelia recovered herself, standing up again to brush herself off before suddenly flinging herself at me.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I felt tears against my skin and I blinked, seeing that she was crying as she clutched onto me tightly. "This means…so…so…much t-to me…" She sobbed so I relaxed, looking down at her warmly as I rested a hand on her head, my other arm wrapping around her to comfort her gently as Wendy and Carla joined the embrace.

"You're the best, you're like a big sister!" Wendy beamed, smiling joyously as Chelia continued to wail, overcome with her emotion. "We'll definitely pay you back for this, we'll be sure to protect you one day!" Wendy always had a way of touching a person's heart, I could feel mine fluttering in response to her sweet words.

"Oh Wendy, you know that you are all dear to me. I would do anything for any of you." I answered, lowering us all to the ground and surrounded them all in my arms, comforting them as they all started to cry, Chelia's tears affecting them and their pure exhaustion overtook them. "You're all tired and wounded, so let me take care of you. You can rest now and big sister will make sure that everything is alright. Let's all go home." I murmured before taking a slow breath.

A fresh magic circle appeared underneath me, a rush of air snapping my hair upwards as a circle of light began to stretch outwards, filling the air with a golden shine and as my Healer's Grace form took over and I filled the air with Healing Aura, everyone's wounds began to disappear as I poured all of my magical power into the spell whilst simultaneously casting Arc of Time, Restore.

I couldn't help but hear my magic singing, the blast spreading further and further as I allowed all of my magical energy to be poured into the spells. The port began to mend itself, ships returning to their previous state and buildings were restored from the rubble but I did not stop. The light stretched beyond Hargeon, travelling wider and wider until I could feel the entire continent in my soul, the lives of people thrumming like a collective heartbeat as people whispered in awe.

The destroyed city of Magnolia was restored to its former glory and our distant friends who had joined us in battle felt their wounds disappear and the feeling of my emotions comforted them, filling them with a warmth that made them giddy and peaceful. Chelia and Wendy fell asleep in my lap to this sensation, entering pleasant dreams as I stroked their hair, the magic around me dispelling as I accomplished my goal.

Around me some people murmured in awe but I ignored them, looking down at Wendy and Chelia as they slept on my legs, curled up and looking as cute as little cherubim. When I looked up the sun was touching the horizon, rapidly sinking lower but the sky was a beautiful shade of pink, specks of cloud turning violet and purple with streaks of gold whilst the ocean glittered magnificently and the celebratory cheer of everyone around me made me relax into a peaceful trance.

The sun sets on this battle and we emerge victorious. It was a good day. "Child." I heard Master Makarov's voice and I gasped, eyes widening as I slowly turned to see him approaching, carried by Laxus but alive. He was alive. Tears rose to my eyes, emotion clouding my throat and my chest tightened painfully as I began to cry for joy.

"Master…" I whispered, trembling as he was placed on the ground next to me and he reached out, placing his hand over mine. "Master…"

"Let us return home, Fae. Let's go back to the guild." He suggested, eyes warm and soft as he looked up at me and I nodded, unable to keep my tears from overflowing.

"Yes. Let's go home."


	26. Chapter 26

"Lucy!" I waved to her as I approached, wearing a flowing long dress of midnight blue with a sweetheart neckline, smiling warmly as I took her hands in mine and kissed her cheek. "Congratulations on winning Lucy, I knew your book was excellent material!" I praised, smiling as she blushed, a little flushed from having a glass of champagne.

"Thanks, I was a little surprised that people actually liked it, I never even intended to publish it…" She admitted so I chuckled, pulling her into a warm embrace.

"You are far better than you think, Luce. In any case, I await the sequel with great anticipation." I winked at her as I pulled back. "And I already have several copies of your first book, would you mind signing them for me? I have several people who have asked for one and I'm donating a few to children's schools and libraries. I thought it only fair that everybody get a chance to read your novel." Lucy looked at me in alarm.

"What?! Sign? Wait, how many books did you buy?" I smiled guiltlessly.

"A few hundred or so."

"WHAT?!" Lucy wavered slightly, exhaling before she steadied herself. "Fae, you know I would have just given them to you, there was no need to _buy_ them." She told me though she did blush a little as an afterthought. "Though that huge order did mean I was able to pay my rent for the next two months. So thank you, I guess."

"No worries. I'm glad to make such a good investment." I assured her, enjoying the festivities around us. The entire guild was here with Lucy, however they were still the rowdy bunch that they were back at the guild. It had been an entire year since that battle and I'd noticed a few small but rather dramatic changes.

Upon my order in the heat of battle, Levy and Gajeel had started dating, however just last week she had came rushing to my flat to tell me some exciting news. Considering that she and Gajeel were so close, I had gifted them the house that Levy and I used to share. I thought it better if they had their own place to themselves, so I moved out and bought a flat of my own on the same street as Lucy, so I was often at her place or she at mine.

"Fae!" Levy waved as Lucy was engaged in conversation with her ancestor, Anna. It had been such a strange story to hear, but I could tell in my heart that Lucy was glad to have someone of her own family alive and with her once more. Anna was the sweetest lady I had ever met and I enjoyed learning history from her as she had lived over four hundred years ago. "Fae, I just told Gajeel, he's fainted." She informed me and I looked to find Gajeel passed out on the ground, Levy barely unable to contain her laughter. "I had hoped he'd take the news a little better!"

"Men, so unreliable." I chuckled, wrapping my arm around her and embracing her gently, pressing my face into her hair as she hugged me back. "Don't worry, I'll help Lily move him so that he's out of the way." I assured her, grabbing Gajeel's arm as Lily grew to his full size and took the other to lift that metal headed lug over to a seat and sat him down. "Hey, wake up and look after your lady!" I ordered, splashing some water in his face but he was out cold. "Impressive. Levy, I believe you can now say that you have efficiently defeated Gajeel once and for all." She laughed.

"Well, he's going to have to come around eventually. I hope he's…not disappointed." She murmured, hand brushing against her stomach but I quickly caught her hand.

"He'll be overjoyed." I assured her. "Do not worry, he's just in shock. It's not everyday someone learns they're going to be a father." We smiled at one another as Lily balked.

"What?!" With a poof he returned to being small, staring in shock up at Levy who nodded her head. "You're...you're…and Gajeel…" Without warning Lily fell backwards, groaning as he too fainted. We both stared a moment before bursting out laughing, still holding hands. I reached down and picked Lily up, holding him in the cradle of my arm then reached out to the buffet table and pulled a kiwi from the fruit pile, wafting it under his nose.

His nose twitched and he sniffed, suddenly awake and he quickly grabbed the kiwi. "Hm! So tasty…" He sucked on it happily but then froze, looking over to Levy who smiled sweetly at him. Stuffing the kiwi into his mouth he stood up on my arm, pointing at her with his other paw at his waist. "My apologies, I do not know what came over me. Congratulations Levy, you have my word that I'll help you in whatever you need and I'll make sure Gajeel doesn't do anything stupid!" He vowed, making me chuckle.

"Lily, stupid and Gajeel go hand in hand. However, I'm sure the three of you will be able to keep him in check." I said with a gesture to Levy's stomach where the new life was beginning to grow. I was excited, though I remained calm. I think what I need right now is a big bowl of ice cream to celebrate, I haven't treated myself to ice cream in a long time and I feel that now is a perfect opportunity to indulge.

Leaving Levy and Lily to take care of Gajeel, I walked over to the dessert table and picked up the huge glass bowl of ice cream, taking it away with me though several other guests stared in awe as I began to devour it all to myself. The hundred different flavour scoops soon found their way into my stomach and I happily sat indulging, earning a few curious stares though everyone else in the guild laughed. "I wondered how long it would be before Fae found the ice cream tower." Wendy beamed, dancing with Carla.

Juvia was a little drunk and so Gray had to take her home, however I watched them as they left, Gray dragging her but I knew that his heartbeat was increasing slightly as Juvia had elected to strip of her top, making him a little uncomfortable and the redness on his cheeks was not unnoticed. It was only a matter of time before they finally became official. Gray had accepted her feelings, however Juvia had confided in me that he had not yet informed her of his own, but she was happy anyway and would be glad to simply stay the way they were without regret. I admired Juvia profoundly. She had not wavered in her feelings towards Gray even after all this time and after so much rebuke and rejection from him. She was truly an awe inspiring woman.

Soon enough I'd finished all of the ice cream and I sighed contently, replacing the bowl then went to a table to sit down, pouring myself a drink. Alcohol wasn't something I drank often, but seeing as it was a celebration I allowed myself one or two glasses of champagne. It did not affect me as much as it did the others, so I was able to pace myself.

I hiccupped, feeling a little warm in the cheeks as I poured myself another drink. This was delicious! I could drink this all night. "Steady, how many have you had?" A voice asked and I blinked, squinting slightly as I looked up before I finally realised it was Laxus standing there.

"I'm fine." I assured him, giving a smile. "Don't be a stick in the mud! We're here to celebrate! Here, have some too, it's very good." I invited, grabbing a glass and held it out to him as I beamed. "Come, toast with me!" I didn't notice that my words were slurring a little, however as Laxus reluctantly took the glass, he looked at it.

"You realise this isn't champagne, right?" He questioned and I stopped, eyes going doe like and innocent.

"It's not?"

"No, this is a cocktail. A strong one too. How many have you had?" I thought for a moment before counting them on my finger.

"Fwour!" I giggled, showing him four fingers before I hiccupped again. Before I could drink Laxus removed the glass from my hand and replaced it with one of water, however I hardly noticed and guzzled it down regardless. "Isn't Luce…such a cwever…little girl?" I hiccupped a few more times but brushed it off. I'm fine, I must have just ingested that ice cream a little too quickly. "I feel…so pwoud!"

"Drink some more of this, you'll feel better if you just sit down for a minute." Laxus sighed, giving me more water however I wavered on my feet, blinking before I began to tip backwards, losing my entire sense of balance. "Crap!" His hands caught my shoulders and held me up, however he quickly made me sit down so that I didn't lose my balance again. "I'll go get someone to look after you." He muttered but I quickly grabbed his sleeve, making him halt.

"No! Stay with me…" I pleaded, my voice sounding like that of a child as I blinked imploringly up at him. "Pwease?" Laxus gulped, his cheeks blushing slightly as he quickly looked away, a little lost as to what to do. Suddenly I pulled him down with a firm tug, kneeling up on my chair as I brought his face down to mine, staring intently into his eyes as alarm showed on his features a little more prominently. "You have such pwetty eyes…" I mused before letting him go and smiling broadly. "I never noticed before!"

"Uh…" He cleared his throat, standing back up and covered his mouth with his hand, unable to look me in the eye.

"My oh my, having a little private party are we?" I heard Evergreen question and I turned around to greet her, waving and smiling.

"Ever! Come join us! Fweed, Bickslow, we have lots of dwink, come!" I invited them and they all approached, taking their seats though Evergreen continued to chuckle in amusement, fanning her face softly with her fan before snapping it shut, eyes flitting between myself and Laxus as I clumsily poured a drink for everyone. My attention and focus had returned and I didn't feel so light, but my accuracy was still a little off.

"Are you drunk?" Freed questioned me, arching an eyebrow in surprise as I leaned over the table to hand out the drinks.

"Of course not!" I laughed, sinking back into my seat, my smile continuing to remain bright and innocent on my face. "Don't be silly."

"I see you have Laxus blushing like a little schoolboy, what on earth did you do to him?" Ever asked and I blinked, looking around. Laxus had turned away and was speaking to his grandfather, Makarov, who now had to use a wheelchair as he'd never regained the use of his legs after the battle. I was a little confused, what did she mean?

"Nothing that I am aware of." I answered, turning back to face them. "What do you mean?" Bickslow and Ever laughed whilst Freed merely smiled gently.

"Lady, Laxus has had a major crush on you for like, years!" Bickslow revealed, making me jump in alarm. He was joking, right? "At first he couldn't stand you, called you an annoying little brat and was pissed off that you hit him with a cup." I blinked, remembering my first encounter with Laxus all that time ago. Had it really been so long? How time flies.

"But after you stood up to him when that metal head Gajeel joined, we could tell that you'd made an impression." Ever revealed, making me sit back in my seat, slightly floored by this revelation. I had had no idea all this time. Surely he does not still harbour such feelings?

"Eventually we managed to make him admit his feelings, we are after all his closest friends and companions." Freed said with a hint of pride in his voice, though not unkind. "We would often tease him for it, but it never seemed to bother him." A hand jumped to my mouth, stomach knotting tightly. I feel a little ill.

"But…but that was a long time ago, correct?" I reasoned with them. "And so much has happened in between…and we hardly speak to one another!" Heat gathered at my cheeks so I quickly downed another drink to try and cool down a little. This news was remarkable and quite unexpected. I had never even had a single suspicion, Laxus was obviously a master of control and at keeping his feelings hidden, even my sharp senses had not picked up on a slightest change, though perhaps this was because I was not paying attention.

Looking down I gently hugged my arms, red faced and a little tipsy. I remember how he'd been the one to carry me when I was wounded on Tenrou island, he'd carried me several times and I was reminded of how gentle that had been, warm too. I blushed more deeply before getting some more drink. "Laxus is very good at keeping things to himself, he's not one for outwardly sharing his emotions but believe me, those emotions rarely change." Evergreen winked at me before rising to her feet, Bickslow and Freed getting up too. "Now, if you'd excuse us, my idiot of a fiancée is causing a ruckus." Fiancée? Oh that's right, Elfman had proposed to Evergreen, they were getting married around Christmas time.

Still dazed and dumfounded at their revelation, my heart began to increase its pace out of nervousness. Reaching forward I grabbed another drink, consuming it all at once before I tried to stand up and…I don't know what. Perhaps I should go home? My head was starting to spin and my legs wouldn't stop shaking. The only reason I was able to stand was because I was gripping onto the chair tightly for balance.

Stumbling forwards I took a deep breath, trying to head to the exit however I tripped over the hem of my dress and fell forwards with a start, eyes widening as the floor rushed to meet me. A large hand gripped mine, effectively stopping my fall and pulled me back upright, arm curling under my stomach to help keep me upright. "I told you to stop drinking, now look at you." Laxus said, looking at me unimpressed, however as I lifted my head and looked at him with my flushed and heavy lidded expression, I saw his cheeks flush deeply and he hurriedly looked away.

"Laxus?" I questioned, head still spinning before I suddenly crashed, groaning as my vision went black but I could still just about comprehend what was happening. Laxus cursed, grabbing onto me properly and lifted me up, carrying me over to a bench where he sat me down.

"Damn it." He muttered and I heard a rustle before something large and heavy was draped over my shoulders and pulled around me to keep me warm. "I warned you not to drink that stuff, now look at you." A soft finger brushed against my hair, moving it back from my face as I recovered for a little while, sitting in this cooler place and the chill refreshed me somewhat, though Laxus kindly got me a drink of water and held my head as he tilted it against my lips, helping me drink it.

"Hm…Laxus?" I blinked, slowly coming round before groaning. "I think I want to go home."

"Fine, I'll find someone to take you back, just wait here a moment." He ordered, however I stood up, disregarding his words but I felt my head spin again and I flinched. Alright, I guess I'll be staying a little while longer. Laxus quickly caught my shoulders, helping to support me as I stumbled forwards, blindly making my way to the exit. "Hey, you can't go wandering around the streets on your own drunk!" He tried to shake me a little but I merely hugged his jacket closer around me and started to walk a little unsteadily for the exit. Laxus followed after me, hands in his pockets and although he wasn't looking directly at me, I could feel he was paying close attention.

I left the party, stepping out onto the chillier streets and shivered involuntarily, walking aimlessly through the streets without a clue where I was and where I was going. Tripping over my dress for a second time I stumbled, rolling my ankle and I flinched, squeaking in pain as I dropped, however a warm light appeared in front of me as Laxus called out my name and caught my shoulder, helping me to stand as his other hand gripped my wrist.

My attention was stolen away from him, staring directly ahead as a familiar scent washed over me and eyes that used to steal my breath away locked onto us. "I can take her from here." Loke announced a little coldly, glaring at Laxus defensively as the lightning mage's grip strengthened on me slightly.

"What you doing here, Loke?" He asked in a stiff voice as I blinked, waking up a little.

"Get your hands off her, you don't deserve to even look at her." Loke growled, stepping forwards and fixing his sleeves, posture signalling he was not going to take no for an answer.

"So what? Like it matters to me what you think." Laxus answered and I frowned, blinking heavily in confusion.

"What…what's going on? Loke, why are you here? I haven't seen you in years…you…" I groaned, hand flying to my head as it began to throb painfully. Loke moved forwards to help but stopped when Laxus drew me back intentionally, opening the distance between us so Loke glowered hotly at him.

"Don't you remember? He attacked you when he tried to take over the guild. I never forgave him for that, he should get on his knees and beg you for forgiveness." I sniffed the air and blearily I registered a high level of defensiveness and male dominance, making me shiver slightly as my head continued to throb.

"That was…years ago…I've forgiven him, he wouldn't hurt me now…" I spoke a little incoherently but I forced myself to stand, stepping away from Laxus to approach Loke. "It's alright Loke."

"No it isn't!" He answered, making me flinch slightly at the raising of his voice. Ever since I had decided not to harbour feelings for him anymore, I had thought very little of Loke except in fondness of the memories and friendship we'd shared. Standing before him now, I was surprised by how unaffected he was by his presence. Time truly does heal. "I won't let him steal you, Fae, I owe it to you to protect you from men like him!"

"P-Protect me? Loke what are you…?" I tried to take another step but swayed, making Loke dart towards me however when Laxus also moved, he quickly growled and lashed out with his fist, glowing brightly like a ward.

"Stay back!"

"Loke!" I gasped, my mind snapping awake as I felt Loke wrap an arm around me, pulling me close.

"Stay away from her Laxus, I won't ask you again! Lucy may be my key holder, but Fae is my dearest friend who helped save my life! I've been a terrible friend in return, leaving her alone for many years just like you said, but I can't stand by and let someone like you threaten her!" He yelled, eyes gleaming dangerously as his grip tightened. "Getting her drunk to take advantage of her, it's disgusting!" Seeing the danger as Loke began to activate his Regulus power, I made a very rash and quick decision to stop him.

I reached up and kissed his cheek, curling my hand around his face and he froze in place, the pretty light which sparkled softly slowing so that it became our cloak for no more than a heartbeat before it began to dim and die away, returning us to the cover of night time. Once I could sense Loke was calm by the way he relaxed and his head bowed slightly, I pulled back but kept my hand against his cheek, smiling affectionately at him.

"It's alright, Loke, this is just a misunderstanding." I murmured to him, my other hand rising to rest on his shoulder as I tilted my head forwards and rested it against his jaw, letting him know that he had no need to worry for me. "Laxus wouldn't do such a thing, I drank too much at Lucy's party and although my head now feels like a herd of elephants are stampeding on my brain, I'm not so completely out of sorts that I can't make my way home. Laxus was just making sure no one troubled me along the way." I explained to him and Loke bowed his head a little further in guilt. "It _is_ good to see you again, but there's no need to worry."

Slowly his arm snaked around my waist, resting gently on my hip before a smile appeared and he looked up, looking at me with that handsome face of his. "You look really beautiful tonight, Fae. Like an enchanting vision." I couldn't help but chuckle at his charm as he began to disappear. "My time's up, I better go now. Sorry I jumped to conclusions, I just wanted to protect you."

"I know." I assured him, stepping back from him as he returned to the spirit world, still smiling at me.

"Take care of yourself, princess."

"You too. Say hello to everyone for me." I requested and he nodded his head before finally disappearing, taking his warmth and scent with him. The danger now passed, I felt the drunkenness take over again so I groaned, slurring slightly as I rubbed my head. "I feel…like my head exploded…"

"Well that's your own fault." He snapped back at me, earning a distasteful look from me so he tusked, turning around and starting to walk away. "You're more trouble than you're worth so escort yourself home. I'm not some kind of babysitter." A spark of anger and hurt pride flared up inside me as I watched him leave, so I pulled off his jacket and flung it at him.

"Fine! Take your stupid jacket with you!" My words weren't as clear as I would have liked them to be but the desired effect was achieved. Laxus looked back as the jacket hit him in the face, covering his head as I turned and strode away without even looking back, walking with all the pride I could muster whilst still drunk, which wasn't much.

I found myself walking in a street I didn't recognise as my own, though with me being in the state I was in, I couldn't recognise anything. My vision throbbed in and out of focus. Several times I blacked out though I continued walking. Where on earth was I? This place is so confusing, why on earth was the street moving? Honestly, roads are supposed to be stable but this one is moving all over the place!

"Hey check it out, it's a chick!" A voice whispered loudly and I blinked, turning around to see a group of five men approaching me, grinning a little wickedly and in my confusion, I did not recognise the danger I was in until one of them grabbed me. "She's pretty, what's your name sweetheart?"

"Hey, isn't she from that guild we saw earlier? Is it a good idea to mess with a wizard?" One of them asked and I protested with weak mewling, trying to tug my wrist free but the man just pulled me harder, dragging me back to him.

"She's drunk, there's nothing she can do in this state. When we came to this miserable city, I didn't realise we were going to have such good luck on our first night! We hit the jackpot, boys!" There was a collective laugh but it made my skin crawl and I wanted to get away from it. I did not know these people, why were they grabbing me?

"Look at these, they're huge!" Hands gripped my chest and I cried out in alarm, panicking at the unwanted molestation so I cracked back my elbow and felt it connect with a face, crunching the cartilage of the nose and he yelped, quickly letting go and stumbling back.

"Bitch!" A hand suddenly cracked against my face and I fell to the ground, blearily blinking in shock. It had hurt but that was not the problem. The problem was that I was now frozen in fear. A hard kick to my abdomen rolled me onto my back, losing the breath in my lungs with a gasp as the foot then stomped down onto my chest. "You're going to regret doing that." Through my shifting vision I managed to make out a smirk, tongue dragging over the dry and cracked lips as I tried to move but I was so drunk I couldn't even stop the world from spinning.

A flash of light appeared to my right and in a blink, a towering form appeared above me with a punch to one of my attackers' face, sending them flying away and I stared, eyes widening as I saw Laxus standing above me, turning back the sleeves of his shirt whilst sparking angrily with electricity. That's just about as much as I could remember, after that it was all black, either due to me fainting or because of the alcohol. Either way, I remembered nothing more after that.


	27. Chapter 27

My head was pounding painfully and I grit my teeth instinctively, offering a soft groan. Had I known those cocktails were so strong, I would not have drank so many. Exhaling I waited until my senses had awoken a little more, shifting slightly as I began to open my eyes. Where was I? What happened last night? I cannot recall very much, it was all in little bits and pieces.

Suddenly I became painfully aware of my lack of clothing, wearing absolutely nothing save for my panties, however that was not all I became aware of. I was rising and falling, like I was being rocked on a boat, however since I knew I was not at sea, I slowly opened my eyes and realised that I was _laying_ on someone's _chest_ , which was also completely bare.

I tensed, inhaling quietly and sharply as I froze in place, hardly daring to look but I forced myself to, gradually lifting my head to see Laxus lying underneath me. I almost screamed but I restrained myself, clapping a hand over my mouth as my other arm hastily moved to cover myself, blushing deeply. He was sound asleep, head turned into his arm which was curled underneath the pillow.

The worst conclusion possible jumped to mind, however as my foot shifted against his thigh, I felt his clothes still there, so he was only nude from the waist up. We couldn't have, then, perhaps this was all just a misunderstanding. Either way, I feel so humiliated. Quickly I looked around the room, not recognising anything, though I noted the general layout and objects within specified it to belong to Laxus. In addition, it had a strong measure of his scent, which I had never noticed before but actually smelled rather pleasant, though it made my nose tingle and I almost wanted to sneeze.

Quickly I located my clothes then ever so carefully got off him, still keeping my chest gathered as I gathered them up but snapped my fingers, using transformation magic to change my clothes. They'll do for now until I can get home. The soft skirt and familiar blouse appeared, however I touched my bare shoulders whilst blushing, looking at the floor before casting one last look at Laxus. Briefly I considered staying until he woke up so that I could ask what happened, however I decided against it. It was too embarrassing at the moment, I simply cannot bode the thought.

So I turned and went to his window, opening it carefully without ever making a sound. I recognised the street, it was near the centre of the city so I climbed up onto the windowsill then jumped down, clothes rustling as I gripped my party frock under one arm then landed silently on the ground. It was still early and no one noticed me so I stole away, returning to my own flat where I ran myself a hot bath.

The water was comforting and after I had taken something for my head, I began to feel a little more like myself. I'd head over to the guild in a bit, but first I need to get some food into me to help with the hangover. This felt awful, and I used to pride myself on being able to handle my drink. As I lay back in the water, however, more of last night started to return to me. Laxus. He had used to have a crush on me.

A crush! Imagine such a thing, it was certainly not like Laxus's character. I could scarcely believe it, however I did not believe the Thunder Legion would lie. I blushed deeply, covering my mouth as I sank lower into the water and tried to ignore the fact that my stomach was fluttering uncomfortably and my heart was hammering loudly in my chest. Laxus…I'd never really thought of him before, we never spoke so I only ever saw him as a guild mate, though I will admit, he's quite handsome. More so recently, I do not know why but he seems far more attractive. Perhaps it's due to the fact he had spent so much time in Blue Pegasus whilst Fairy Tail was disbanded. Perhaps they'd had an effect.

Shaking my head I rose to my feet and stepped out of the bath, draining away the water then got myself ready. Mirajane had asked I help her in the kitchen today and I cannot let her down, even though my head still hurts. No doubt there will be several of us that feel the same, so I'll start cooking a good old fashioned fry up to help line their stomachs.

I walked to the guild, enjoying the warmth of the august sunshine on my face and the fresh air made me feel infinitely better as I entered the guild, greeting everyone brightly but I only received groans in answer. "Fae's special fry up, coming up!" I answered with a laugh and everyone sighed with relief.

"Fae, you're a gem." Macao said to me as I passed so I winked at Romeo before heading into the kitchen as Mirajane dealt with drinks at the bar and sorted out quest posters. I quickly set to work, whipping up the food as quickly as possible before sending plates out to everyone. Natsu and Lucy arrived and I was prompt to place food in front of them, giving Natsu extra meat and Happy a fresh fish I'd picked up on my way.

"Freshly caught this morning Happy, enjoy!" I smiled to them and Lucy beamed at me.

"Thanks Fae, this is just what the doctor ordered." She said before digging in. I finished up handing out breakfast to everyone however just as I gave out the last plate, the door flung over and Gajeel marched in with Levy and Lily in tow.

"Listen up ya morons! Levy and I are havin' a kid, ya hear me? I'm gonna be a pops!" He bellowed and everyone stopped, staring in shock as Levy smacked a hand to her face.

"Gajeel, I said _conspicuously_ you iron headed jerk." She told him but he only grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist and hugging her close.

"Gi-hi-hi-hi, I don't know what that means, so I don't care." He said, holding her possessively as suddenly, the entire guild erupted. There was cheering and congratulations, women running forwards to Levy and began asking numerous questions, Bisca reminiscing about when she'd been pregnant with Asuka. "Ya hear that salamander? I got my girl _and_ a kid on the way well before you even made a move. I win!"

"Gajeel, it's not a competition!" Levy yelled at him as Erza's eyes sparkled.

"We must have cake to celebrate! Fae, no effort must be spared as this is a joyous reason to celebrate. Can you accomplish this imperative and highly important task" She questioned, spinning around to point at me demandingly but I merely smiled and lifted my spoon.

"Already on it Erza, you can count on me."

"Ooh! Let me help too!" Wendy pleaded so she came into the kitchen with me as Makarov started sobbing about how big his children were growing. "I'm so excited, I can't believe that Levy is going to have a baby and Evergreen is going to marry Elfman. Everything is changing so quickly!" Wendy smiled as she mixed up the batter for me, Carla wondering in with the air of sophisticated grace that only she could master.

"Yes Wendy, things are certainly changing." She agreed. "Though we must be mindful of our future, I cannot help but feel that more changes are coming." Wendy looked up in alarm but I set a hand on her shoulder to offer reassurance.

"Change can be a good thing, Wendy, so do not worry. Whatever changes they may be, you can count that Fairy Tail will always stand together and remain strong." I told her and she relaxed, smiling and nodding her head.

"Sure!" Together we whipped up the cake and once it had baked, I used magic to control the decorating aspect, layering our cakes so that they made a two tier mass of sponge, coating them in fondant then added chocolate coated strawberries whilst Wendy carefully iced the Fairy Tail symbol on the side. I guided my piping back, writing decoratively on the top a congratulations to Levy and Gajeel before creating two chibi characters of the both of them, sitting them on top of the cake before then including a touch of sparkles to the icing, making it sparkle prettily. "Wow! It's beautiful!"

"I'll carry it Wendy, it's rather heavy. I don't want you to hurt yourself." I said, stepping forwards and lifted the cake up off the counter.

"I'd probably drop it I'm so clumsy, I'll leave it to you Fae." She beamed at me, Carla following us both out into the celebratory atmosphere. "Everyone, the cake is complete! Please, let us congratulate Levy and Gajeel!" Wendy's sweet voice caught everyone's attention and Erza was over to us in a shot, mouth watering and eyes wide as she beheld the cake.

"Such elegant craftsmanship…so deliciously sweet smelling…it is a masterpiece!" She breathed and went to cut herself a slice but I rested my hand over hers, stopping her as I sat up on the counter.

"Now, now Erza, we must let Levy and Gajeel cut the cake. Levy!" I called and she came over, smiling at the cake.

"It's amazing! And you did it so quickly, you really are impressive Fae, Wendy, thank you so very much." She said, hugging Wendy first and then me. "But Erza, you can have the first slice. Here, I'll make it extra big for you." Levy said and Erza practically cried as Levy removed a huge slab from the cake and dropped it onto a plate for her.

Reedus happily painted away at the scene, his expert hand taking everyone's expressions and painting them onto his canvases. I danced with Levy as music started, holding her hands and spinning with her as Gajeel, Natsu and Gray fought, pummelling one another with fists and we both laughed as Erza broke it up with a single kick of her foot, sending them flying as Makarov continued to sniffle until Mira brought him some cake.

"With a cake like that, there's no doubt in my mind." Evergreen announced before she pointed her fan at me. "You will be the one to make my wedding cake. Be warned, it must be at least twelve tiers high with all different flavour sponges, frosting and it must be absolutely beautiful!" I balked, eyes widening as she smirked. "I have high expectations."

"Twelve tiers!" I gaped but Levy patted my shoulder.

"You can do it Fae, I have absolute faith in you." She said to me, Wendy nodding her head with determined eyes.

"Yes! You can do it Fae and I shall help you if you need me to!" She promised so I relaxed, chuckling as I drew them both to me.

"If you believe I can do it, then there's no doubt about it. Evergreen! I shall bake you the most beautiful cake ever seen in this world." I declared, lifting my hand and pointing at her with a challenging smirk. "And it will also be the most delicious thing you ever taste, even ice cream won't compare!" Instantly everyone knew how serious I was and Evergreen seemed satisfied as she nodded her head approvingly before chuckling.

"Be warned…if I do not like it…" She tilted her glasses slightly. "I'll turn you to stone." I laughed softly at her threat, accepting it on the chin. The doors opened at that moment and when I looked, the colour drained from my face as Laxus walked in, stopping and frowning in confusion at the excitement around him.

Without thinking I disappeared over the counter and back into the kitchen, hiding my face from view. Get a grip, Fae, you are not some impetuous child, just hold your head up with dignity. Taking a deep breath I returned, smiling to everyone as I helped cut the cake, handing out slices as Cana demanded more booze and Mirajane rushed around filling up cups. Still hung over and yet drinking again already? These people, they are absolutely insane, I'm convinced of it.

All the same, as I looked at Levy as she beat her tiny fists against Gajeel, calling him a dummy for some reason, I couldn't help but feel a slight sting of longing as he suddenly lifted her up in one arm, trapping her against him as he grinned mischievously up at her, all anger suddenly gone and she blushed, hands resting against his shoulders. I was happy for them, I truly was. Perhaps one day I would have something like that, it would make me irrevocably happy, I think.

Glancing up I found myself looking at Laxus as he spoke quietly to his grandfather, however as he spoke his eyes shifted, meeting mine. I managed not to blush, though I felt a slight tingle tickle at my skin as his rather intimidating guys fixed on me as his mouth continued to move, whispering to his grandfather. He knew. He knew what happened last night and he seemed to be mocking me silently about it, however by this point it hardly mattered.

I relaxed, shoulders loosening as I tilted my head at him, lips tilting upwards in a soft smile, gesturing peace between us as a breeze blew into the guild and rippled through my hair so I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation, tilting my head upwards before I moved forwards, heading back into the warm atmosphere of love and laughter to immerse myself into it.


	28. Chapter 28

Another long day was ended, everyone groaning once more with headaches so Wendy and I had set about healing them as much as we could before sending them all home. Natsu had passed out at the guildhall so Lucy and Happy took him home. The sky looked rather pretty today, mottled with different colours and I admired it peacefully before turning a corner, taking a shortcut to get back home.

Turning down the side street I looked up when a tingling scent hit me, stopping to see Laxus standing there. "Laxus." I said, surprised before I greeted him properly. "Hello, how are you?" He was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt which gripped against his form tightly, leaving nothing to the imagination. The coat that he usually wore was absent, and without it he surprisingly looked a little smaller, though not by much.

"Wanna walk?" He asked, looking at me strangely but I thought nothing of it, merely nodded. Pushing himself off the wall he fell into step beside me, going silent. I shot him a curious look but said nothing for a moment, waiting until I realised he wasn't going to start a conversation.

"I'm happy that things are moving on now that the war is over." I stated, breaking the silence. "For a while I worried that the losses we sustained would affect all the guilds, but everyone seems to be doing fine." Laxus didn't answer so I continued. "Does it feel strange to you that Evergreen and Elfman are getting married? They're so different in one another and often Elfman drives Ever crazy, but they're so besotted with one another."

"Guess so." He finally spoke. "Though I saw it coming a mile away. She's not exactly subtle about things." I chuckled in agreement. Evergreen did like to stand out and always looked fabulous, however her feelings for Elfman had been very apparent since the seven year gap. Speaking of which, with Laxus being trapped in there, it now meant that I was technically older than him. It was a difficult concept to grasp and slightly strange to think of. "Why are you making that face?" He frowned at me.

"Well, I was just considering how I am technically your senior. I am older than you now." I said to him, making a soft hand gesture. "Considering when we first met I was quite a bit younger than you, it just occurred to me how strange it feels. I'm older than all of my friends, I feel more like their big sister now rather than their junior." I gave an amused chuckle, sighing softly. "Seven years…it was such a long time."

"Could have been worse." He reasoned so I looked up at him, catching him looking at me and he quickly looked away, tensing slightly. My ear caught the change in his pulse, making me stand up a little straighter as I listened to the irregular pattern in his heart and noticed how he was sweating ever so slightly.

"You are nervous." I realised and he jerked slightly in surprise, looking down at me. "There's no need, Laxus, it is just me. I don't bite."

"I uh…thought we should discuss what happened. Last night." He answered a little uncomfortably but I just laughed, waving my hand dismissively.

"I remember you coming to save me from those thugs, so thank you for that. After that it's all completely blank, I'm afraid so I don't remember anything that happened." I told him and he relaxed a little for a brief moment before he halted, watching as I stopped a few steps ahead of him, turning around to look at him inquisitively.

"What about…in the morning?" I blushed slightly this time, holding my arm and bashfully looking down.

"I understand we were in quite a compromising position, but do not worry. I know nothing happened." I assured him and he arched an eyebrow at him so I explained. "You're not the type of man to take advantage of a woman who cannot give her consent. My guess is that after you dealt with those men, I was in no position to tell you where I lived so you took me back to your place so that I had somewhere to stay. Thank you again." I listed, recovering from my embarrassment so I was able to look him in the eye. "After that, I'm fairly certain I acted quite foolishly and I apologise for my drunken behaviour, you must have been very uncomfortable."

"Well…" Laxus started before sighing, crossing his arms over his chest. "You were much stronger than I first anticipated." He began before shrugging. "You knocked me out with a sleeping spell after stripping. You must have passed out after that." I stopped, surprised but then I could not supress the burst of laughter at the hilarity of it. I used a sleeping spell on Laxus? I found that very hard to believe. Besides, I could tell he was hiding the truth from me, his heart betrayed it.

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel less like a moron, Laxus, but you needn't bend the truth for me." I informed him and he jolted with surprise, obviously unaware that I was very good at picking up on lies. "In any case, let us agree not to dwell on this and continue on as friends, if it suits you." Holding out my hand I stepped closer so that he could shake it. After a moment, he did so, nodding in agreement. "Excellent! Now, for future reference, I live in this flat here." I gestured to the flat that stood just a few doors down, my windows open to let in the breeze.

"I'll remember, just in case." A rumble of amusement touched his tone and it suited him. He was fully relaxed now, even smiling slightly down at me so I paused a moment before a spark of courage struck me.

"Would you like some tea? Or if you prefer, I have some homemade lemonade freshly made. You're welcome to some if you'd like it." Laxus thought for a moment before nodding his head so I led him into my flat, allowing him inside and invited him to sit down as I got him a drink, also bringing over some sandwiches and tea cakes for us to eat as I sipped my tea and sat down opposite him.

Surprisingly, he was a good conversationalist. I learned that he liked music and we discussed that for a while before our chatter became easy and pleasant to participate in. He told me a little about his childhood, also explaining to me the incident in the Grand Magic Games where he'd taken out the entire Raven Tail guild and how his father had actually been after Fairy Heart, also known as Lumen Histoire.

We talked on other subjects, such as the places we'd travelled during our quests and Laxus even asked a few questions, such as why did I like ice cream so much. He almost didn't believe me when I told him that until I'd joined the guild, I'd had a very specific diet and hadn't even so much as tried a cheeseburger.

I noticed Laxus getting a little tired about two hours after I'd invited him inside, sunset long since passed and I tilted my head at him. "Laxus? Do you want me to walk you home?" I asked but received no reply. "Laxus? Laxus!" But he was fast asleep. He must have been exhausted, the poor guy. Standing up I quickly cleared away the cups and dishes before I stepped back, focussing my magic and slowly lifted him from the seat, levitating him towards my couch where I then set him down with his head against a pillow.

Once he was settled I fetched him a blanket and draped it over him, smiling softly down at his sleeping form. I took a moment to observe him, taking in his blond hair, the scar over his eye however what I noticed above all else was how relaxed and peaceful he looked whilst sleeping. Deciding that I should leave him in peace, I flicked off the lights and disappeared into my own room, stripping down and climbing into bed.


	29. Chapter 29

Someone was knocking at my front door. It was very delicate and gentle, however my ears picked it up and I moaned softly, rising from my bed and pulled on a shirt over my underwear to drift out to the front room where I stifled a yawn, ignoring the fact that my hair was rather messy and I was still practically half asleep.

Reaching out I opened the door and rubbed my eyes more awake to see Juvia standing there. "My apologies for awakening you so early, but my situation is dire and I am in desperate need of your assistance." Juvia rushed, face red in panic as she quickly gripped my hands.

"Juvia! What has happened? Are you alright?" I asked, my mind immediately thinking that someone had got hurt or there was a serious problem back at the guild. I hope everyone is alright.

"Juvia needs to go shopping for a new dress!" She suddenly yelled before clamping her hands down over her mouth, startling herself as I just stared at her. "Um…my darling Gray has finally asked me to join him on a date and I wish to look my best, but I simply cannot decide on my outfit so I thought receiving advice from someone who always looks so very beautiful like you would be a good idea…" She mumbled, wriggling nervously as I continued to stare before finally relaxing, clutching my beating heart.

"Oh Juvia, I thought someone had been hurt! You gave me a fright." I exhaled with relief, smiling as I took her hand and pulled her inside. "Please come in! I'll bring you something to drink and eat, we must have plenty of energy if we are to shop through this entire city for the perfect outfit for you." Turning around I directed Juvia towards the sofa, however when she gave a sharp squeak and hid her blushing face in her hands, I frowned slightly in confusion. "Juvia? Whatever is the matter?"

"L-L-L-L-L…" She stumbled, slowly pointing a trembling hand towards my couch where I looked. Immediately I gave a cry of alarm, seeing the massive form of Laxus still sleeping there, completely passed out. "My apologies! I interrupted you, please forgive me!" She made to bow but I quickly caught her shoulders, stopping her.

"No, no, no, no Juvia! You misunderstand, we didn't…I wouldn't…we were just talking and he fell asleep." I explained to her, blushing beetroot red as I touched a hand to my mouth, wholly embarrassed at the situation. Quickly I looked around, wandering what to do but then Laxus started to wake up, groaning and opening his eyes to sit up, rubbing his forehead as I froze in place, staring in horror as he stopped then looked towards us.

Instantly his eyes widened as I became painfully aware that I was only wearing a shirt and my panties, meaning he could see the entirety of my legs. "Don't look at me!" I practically shrieked, diving behind Juvia and Laxus quickly slapped a hand over his eyes.

"I didn't look!" He protested before frowning. "Where am I? How come I'm on your couch?"

"You…you fell asleep whilst we were talking last night." I answered, my throat thick and dry as I cowered behind Juvia before I thought to use some magic to dress myself. I snapped my fingers and changed my clothes into soft black leggings and a white cotton babydoll shirt with short sleeves. "I, uh, moved you to the sofa so that you would be more comfortable. Please forgive me." Now dressed I stepped out from behind Juvia and bowed my head low, cheeks still warm from embarrassment.

"It's alright." He said, standing up and cracking his neck. "I'll leave now. Thank you for your hospitality." Walking with a strong pride towards the door I watched him leave, a little overwhelmed by the rush of humiliation, however once he was gone I was able to relax. I hope to never relive a situation like that again. Juvia was still blushing, looking between me and the door where Laxus had just gone so I took her hand and smiled.

"So, do you prefer tea or juice?" I questioned, trying to move the situation on. I decided to stick with my clothes, pulling on some shoes also and grabbed a bag so that I could hold my keys and money. Juvia ate some jam scones with me for breakfast before we set off into town together. "So where are you going? Tell me everything Juvia." I said as I looped her arm through mine and walked her to the nearest boutique.

"Well, my darling Gray said that I could choose anywhere I liked, so I simply must make reservations at the best restaurant in the entire city and then I must plan a list of things we will do throughout the day…I can hardly contain myself with all this excitement!" She breezed, wriggling and jumping up and down on the spot and I smiled at her anticipation.

"In that case, after we've looked through every rail in this shop I suggest we go make those reservations. Is there anything else you'd like to do so we can plan ahead?" I asked and almost instantly Juvia launched into a monologue of how exactly everything was going to go. She was going to cook Gray a five course breakfast before they'd go out into town for sightseeing, then they'd have lunch at the most romantic café, then do some shopping to buy gifts for one another then they'd eat in the evening at the restaurant before Juvia then said they'd go on a moonlight boat trip where they'd speak of their futures together and plan their wedding, design their own house and decide how many children they were going to have.

"Oh it will be perfect, everything must go according to plan!" She gushed, hand resting over her heart as she also gripped onto me rather tightly. "Do you think it too much? Would my darling Gray approve? What if he does not like anything on the menu at any of the restaurants, oh I could not bear to think of my beloved Gray going hungry!" Juvia fussed as we reached the boutique so I stopped outside and took her hands, making her look at me as I smiled with kind eyes.

"Juvia, so long as you are doing things that make both of you happy, then there will not be any problems." I informed her and she blinked, listening to my words carefully. "Perhaps maybe not start so early in the morning and ask what he would like to do with you. If he says that he does not mind, then stick to the plan that you just told me, only don't worry about the morning. Use that to make yourself look as beautiful as can be. It's important to leave plenty of time before a date so that you can prepare yourself properly." I said, reaching out and pushing back a lock of her beautiful wavy hair. Juvia had become so beautiful over the years, she really was lovely. Like a water flower.

"You give such excellent advice, Fae. Tell me, have you gone on many dates? What other advice can you give me? Please, teach me everything!" She pleaded, gripping onto me tightly and I chuckled, removing her hands and held onto them so that she was calm.

"I've only been on one date in my entire life, however it was more than perfect." I informed her, smiling as I recalled my one date with Loke. "But I have had experience from hearing about Levy's dates with Gajeel and how Bisca started dating Alzack. I'll give you any advice I can, Juvia, but the most important thing is to enjoy yourself." Turning I opened the door and stepped inside. "Now, shall we find you a dress?" Juvia nodded her head and hurried after me. We went through the entirety of the shop but found nothing, so I encouraged Juvia not to despair and that we had plenty of time so we went to the harbour and reserved a table for her and Gray before continuing on.

"What if something goes wrong? Perhaps our reservation gets lost? Or someone attacks us? Say I lose my purse and Gray did not remember his, what should we do then? What if the city collapses or the boats are all gone? What if the sky falls apart?!" Juvia worried so I pulled her arm through mine and patted her hand as we walked down the street.

"You'd be together with the man you love most in the entire world, Juvia. If something bad were to happen, would that be _so_ terrible so long as you're together?" I reasoned and she stared at me for a moment before relaxing, a soft smile touching her lips.

"No, it wouldn't." She agreed. We stopped at midday to go to a café where I had an ice cream sundae and Juvia sipped a cup of tea with a teacake, the two of us happily conversing together. "I have always admired you so greatly, Fae." She admitted to me and I looked up with surprise.

"How so Juvia?" I asked her and she smiled at me friendlily.

"Well, you are always so sure of yourself and you are so graceful in all your acts and deeds. You love everyone, no matter who they are and are always so kind. You remind me greatly of Mirajane." She explained to me. "Yet you are much more passionate, in my opinion. Therein lies my admiration for you. When you choose to use your power, you always use it as a means to protect us. During the battle against Alvarez, I do not believe I have ever seen anything more terrifying than you as when you fought." She blushed slightly. "Forgive me if I was forward, I do not mean to offend…" I waved my hand, smiling at her.

"You are so polite, Juvia, I've always liked that about you." I said and she jumped slightly, eyes widening at my unexpected statement.

"Really?"

"Of course, right from the very start I've always seen you as sweet and compassionate. You are loyal to your friends, a quality I admire in any person." Taking another bite of my sundae I thought carefully, cleaning my spoon before I leaned against my hand, inky black hair spilling over my shoulder. "However what I've always respected most about you was your unwavering love to Gray. Your affections never shifted for any reason and your absolute faith in him never wavered. It is difficult for such feelings to be found these days, however when I see you I cannot help but wish my emotions could be even just a fraction as powerful as yours. Your power stems from your love of people, friends and loved ones." Juvia continued to stare at me, eyes watering with emotion. "Juvia, you are a wonderful person. I understand that in the past people would leave you alone because your presence brought a permanent rain, however if it meant I could stand next to you, then I'd gladly withstand any and all weathers."

Her hand slowly rose to her lips, tears beginning to slide down her cheek so I leaned across and dabbed them away with a napkin, smiling affectionately at her. "I hope we can be closer friends from now on, I should very much like that Juvia."

"Friends…yes, yes of course." She nodded, sniffing and quickly drying her eyes. "I should very much like that too." We beamed at one another before finishing our treats, glowing in one another's company before we moved on to our next shop. We trawled through every street throughout the city but still found nothing that Juvia deemed perfect enough. The closest we got was a purple dress with a low neckline and a mermaid tail skirt, however Juvia did not like the colour and thought it was a little _too_ flashy for her date. "Oh it is hopeless…I will find nothing at this rate…"

"Do not worry Juvia, there's still more shops we can look at and if not, then I am sure we can make your perfect dress. I will not rest until you are absolutely satisfied so chin up!" I cheered, giving her a quick embrace before taking her hand and starting to run towards the next dress shop we had on a list that Juvia had very cleverly constructed so that no shop may be left untouched. Still we found no luck and we were now facing the very last shop on the list.

"This is it. The last one." Juvia said, taking a deep breath. She looked a little nervous so I took her hand and gave it a squeeze, reaching out and holding the door open for her to enter. We split up and I searched through the rails, scanning each dress but saw nothing that caught my eye or fit the description that Juvia had given me, so I sighed and glanced around the shop.

A flash of blue caught my eyes so I quickly looked back, searching for it again and once I had it within eyesight, I moved towards it. It was a beautiful shade of blue, like clear water or glass and as I lifted it off the rack the silk rustled prettily. I glanced it over and instantly my heart gave a hopeful lift so I turned around and showed it to Juvia. "Juvia, how about this?" Her head lifted and when her eyes saw it, she dropped every dress she held and rushed over.

"Oh! This is beautiful!" She breathed, lifting the silk fabric in her hands. "I simply must try this on, it is exactly what I imagined!" Juvia hurriedly took it from me and dashed into the changing room, making me chuckle as I went and collected up all the dresses she had dropped and returned them onto the hangers. Once this was done, I went and waited for Juvia to emerge, daydreaming contentedly until the curtain was pulled back.

Juvia stepped out, wearing the beautiful gown of blue, the fabric rustling with each movement. It had a plunging neckline, revealing her womanly shape and it shaped her flawlessly. There was a long slit up the side but the fabric gathered towards her hip, creating a fashionable wrap around effect as the rest of the fabric dropped towards her ankles. She smiled and struck a pose, turning a circle to reveal the equally plunging back. "What do you think?" She questioned and I frowned, scrutinising it closely.

"I don't know…I feel like something is…missing." I said slowly and Juvia blinked.

"Like what?" Thinking for a moment I smiled before lifting my hands, wriggling my fingers before my forearms glowed. The light intensified and wrapped around me, until I was standing as a winged angel of ice, though I kept my wings at bay as not to knock anything over.

"Just hold still." I said, eyes focusing as I smirked slightly to myself. Sucking in a deep breath I pushed my hands forwards, using my thumbs and forefingers as a guide before exhaling a breath of ice, showering it over Juvia and she squeaked at the touch of cold but then quickly adjusted, watching in fascination as I altered the dress ever so slightly. Once I was finished my clothes returned to normal and I folded my head, giving a nod of approval. "There, much better." I said, smiling as Juvia gasped in wonder.

Her dress sparkled softly with the frost, shimmering prettily as larger stones of ice decorated waist in a belt of diamond like ice, perfectly formed with the decoration angling down towards the slit of her leg, a slim hem of the crystals following downwards with the shape before gradually becoming smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the hem. The shopkeeper, who had until now been uninterested and paid us no attention, was suddenly staring wide eyed as Juvia gave a twirl, dress glittering. "It's so beautiful and absolutely perfect!" She breathed in awe. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"You're welcome. Don't worry about the ice melting, it won't." I assured her and her smile widened. "After all, that's the beauty of magic. It's a nice touch, I think. I'm sure Gray will approve." Juvia squealed, overjoyed as she twirled one last time before returning to change into her own clothes. The shop keeper stared at us as we paid, unable to believe their eyes and for a while I almost wondered if they'd never seen magic before, but then I realised I had revealed a rather ethereal angel form to them and I was certain they'd not seen anything like that before.

Juvia glowed happily as I escorted her back to her room in Fairy Hills. The other girls were waiting for her and immediately asked to see the dress. I watched, content to stand back and watch from a distance as Juvia showed off her new dress, everyone aweing over it as she beamed from ear to ear. "You did a good job." Erza complimented as she came to stand beside me. I smiled at her in greeting, noticing that she was wearing perfume, something she never used to do.

"It was my pleasure. Please, if you ever need help shopping for a dress for when you and Jellal start to date, be sure to knock on my door." I said teasingly and Erza instantly balked, blushing as she looked at me in alarm.

"D-Date? What do you mean? Jellal and I…are just friends…" She started but I merely placed my hand on her shoulder and leaned into her ear, lowering my voice to a whisper so that only she could hear me.

"You've waited this long, why wait any longer? Seize your chance for true happiness, Erza, you have my support all the way." She blushed heavily, making me chuckle again as I turned and left them to themselves, exhaling softly as I turned towards the ocean. I haven't walked along the beach in a long while, I think it would be a pleasant idea to take a stroll.

Taking off my shoes I paused, snapping my fingers to change into a bathing suit and beach skirt then headed down to the beach. I walked barefoot along the sand, the surf brushing at my toes as I enjoyed the sensation of walking on the sand before finally I abandoned my shoes, bag and skirt to head into the ocean. I walked until I had to swim, going a little out of my depth so that when I turned on my back and floated, I could bask in the sensation of weightlessness.

I adored flying and the sensation of freedom it brought, however floating on this vast ocean brought a whole new meaning to tranquillity as I lay there, running the water through my fingers. This was perfect, so peaceful and quiet with only the sound of the ocean waves to accompany me, it's almost too…

"Watch out below!" I gasped, startled as someone suddenly crashed into the ocean, sending a wave of water over me and I quickly started to beat the water, floating upright as Natsu suddenly appeared, grinning at me toothily. "Hey Fae, saw you swimming and thought we'd all join ya!" He said brightly and I blinked before turning towards the shore where all the girls from Fairy Hills as well as Lucy came running into the ocean, Gray, Happy, Lily, Gajeel and some of the other guys also in tow. "Water fight!" Natsu yelled with a roar, flames shooting out from his mouth as he started to splash me.

"N-Natsu!" I gasped, awakening from my shock before I started to laugh, splashing him back as everyone else came to join us. Erza took the water fight a little too seriously, equipping her armour and striking the water with one of her strongest weapons, sending a rushing wave over us all but we all came back up laughing.

It had been such a long time since I'd been like this with everyone, it was incredibly refreshing and I felt much younger, almost as if I were a teenager again. Lucy, Wendy and I held hands, swimming together as Carla floated on a rather pretty inflatable chair, relaxing with a drink, Happy serving her like a personal waiter. Gajeel gave a loud and rather wild laugh, lifting Levy high up into the air from the water as she squeaked in alarm, arms and legs flailing but Natsu then tackled him around the middle, sending the both of them down and Levy went flying however Juvia and I caught her, Juvia using the water to form a cushion like slide which allowed her to slide back down towards the ocean and I waited at the bottom, helping to support her as she caught her breath.

"Gajeel you big dummy!" Levy yelled at him though Lucy and I laughed, Juvia smiling also as she drifted in her watery body, joining us also. It felt so good to spend time with everyone just like we used to. With everything that had happened after the seven year gap, we never seemed to be able to have a moment to catch our breath, so moments like this instantly became precious treasures of mine, and I hadn't smiled so freely in such a long time.

As we played and frolicked in the sea and sand, I found my youth returning to me, giggling and allowing my maturity to slip away from me as I joined everyone in all kinds of competitions, from sandcastles to volleyball. I tell you, playing volleyball with people like Natsu, Erza and Gray was detrimental to the health. Still, it was all in good fun and I had the greatest time of my life.

The greatest fun I'd have in a long time to come.


	30. Chapter 30

It was another ordinary day at the guildhall. We'd already had three fights kick off, seventeen broken tables, forty three destroyed chairs, three cracked pillars, the stage had been set on fire, an entire night's worth of booze smashed or frozen solid and a rather enraged Cana kicking the boys into next week until the master had bellowed for everyone to calm down. All in all, a very ordinary afternoon.

Lucy was groaning, head a little bruised from where she'd got hit by a tankard so Wendy fixed her up as I had Gray and Natsu sitting cross legged in front of me, lecturing them on their behaviour. "…so before you two even think about going at one another again and destroy the place, remember that the next thing to be broken will be your heads!" I finished, placing my hands on my hips as I glared down at them. Honestly, they could be so hot tempered, the both of them.

"Yes ma'am!" They both chorused before bowing their heads again. "We'll behave we promise!"

"Excellent. Now don't let me catch you arguing again." I finalised before turning around and returning to work. Lucy now recovered she stood up, thanking Wendy again and again whilst the smaller girl assured her that it was no trouble at all. Seeing me approaching, Wendy instantly brightened and smiled at me, Lucy also perking up a little.

"Fae! You really do know how to keep those two in order, you're a little like Erza when you lecture them." Wendy giggled as I reached across and patted her head affectionately.

"Of course, I learned my confidence from her." I answered simply. "Lucy, are you sure you're alright?" I asked, brushing my hand against her hair to show her forehead a little better but sure enough, there wasn't even a bruise left to show.

"Absolutely, Wendy fixed me up good and proper!" Lucy reassured me, gripping her hand into a fist and flexing her arm as a point to show she was definitely okay. "Those jerks, always getting out of hand." I chuckled in agreement, nodding my head. The master suddenly cleared his throat and we all turned to look as he wheeled himself forward on the stage, everyone instinctively moving towards him to hear what he had to say.

"Listen up you brats, there's several things I have to go over today. Firstly, I can finally announce that the modifications to the guildhall have been complete. We now have a new floor, which I have named 'Hall of Memory'. It is filled with magnificent paintings of our finest and happiest moments together, please go and observe them when you have time and be sure to congratulate Reedus for his work."

"Aw shucks." Reedus blushed as everyone cheered for him. Hall of Memory? I had no idea the master was planning something like that. I'll definitely go up and take a look, it'll be magnificent without a doubt. Master Makarov waited a while before clearing his throat, calling everyone back to attention.

"Also, as you all well know, it is quickly coming up to that time of year again. With the Harvest Festival just around the corner, our Fantasia parade will need to be arranged and practiced for." He announced and everyone started to whisper excitedly. It's been a long time since we'd had a proper parade, I'll admit I was a little giddy for it. "I have decided on who will be performing what, so ensure you check the board to find out your roles in putting together this parade, but be warned. Any screw ups will be dealt with severely and with the ultimate of punishments!" The master yelled, a large fist suddenly appearing as he slammed it onto the stage, making several people gulp. "But have fun." He added with a grin and I shook my head with a small smile.

Master Makarov always knew how to get his point across. Everyone quickly dove straight for the board to check what their roles would be and as the masses moved away, I stood on my own, allowing everyone to go first. There was an excited chatter, most notably Natsu when he cheered at the fact he was going to be on a float along with the other dragon slayers.

I started cleaning up the tables, holding my tray in one hand as I filled it with empty cups, carrying them back to Mirajane at the bar. "Aren't you going to take a look at what you'll be doing this year Mira?" I asked her but she just smiled her pretty smile at me.

"Oh I'm not too worried, I'll gladly accept any role the master has given me and I'll be sure to do my best." She answered and I couldn't help but think how gentle and kind Mirajane was. For someone as terrifying as her on the battlefield, it was quite a striking contrast. Nodding my head to her I continued to clear up, wiping down tables to remove any spillages, however when I heard some rather excited shouts from over at the board, I looked up, hearing my name.

"No way! Fae?"

"That's going to be so cool!"

"Oh man, this year is going to be the best ever!" Arching an eyebrow I started to move away however Lucy and Levy grabbed my arms, excitedly pulling me over to board.

"Come on! You've got to see this!" Lucy breathed, tugging me forwards as Levy did the same.

"Check this out Fae, take a look!" Levy grinned and suddenly I found myself being pulled through the crowd before I stood in front of the board. There were hundreds of requests littering the board, however first and foremost was the role list for the Fantasia parade. I scanned it, looking through the list until I saw my name.

Fae vs. Mirajane: Battle demonstration.

My eyes shot wide open, staring at the list before I turned around to look at Mirajane who was smiling prettily at me. I see, the master really was sparing no effort this time around. This will be very interesting. Mirajane is an extremely powerful wizard, especially after the battle against Tartaros where she consumed so many demon souls, she was on a whole new level now.

A demon vs. an angel. I am actually quite anticipating this, no doubt the crowds will love it. "Sounds like fun." I finally announced, everyone cheering and whooping around me, several people patting me on the back as I laughed and continued to clean up the place. With everyone now distracted, avidly talking about the upcoming parade, I took an opportunity to head upstairs and take a look at the artwork Reedus had created for the hallways.

It was nothing like I expected as it was infinitely so much better. As I started to walk, I saw so many paintings that had been created over the years, depicting smiling faces, intense battles and the most proud moments of our lives. As I walked, I admired each and every single painting, smiling softly as my friends' smiling grins looked back at me.

Surprisingly I found one of myself when I first entered the guild. I was small and lean, extremely skinny and my black hair had covered my face mostly. Had I really been so small and timid once upon a time? I suppose I was, it was so long ago now that I hardly remembered. I noticed how Reedus seemed to give me my own storyline, growing with each painting until finally towards the end, there was a huge canvas painting of me in my Angel Soul, white wings spread wide as I faced Acnologia, a rather terrifying yet determined expression painted on my features, mid bellow as my wings danced with white flame. It was so life like that I could almost see the flames flickering and Acnologia inhaling a breath to attack.

"This is amazing." I breathed, turning and walked through the hall again so I could see more. There were just so many memories that I started to grow a little emotional, reliving those that included me with softness and reflection. Could one die for so much joy? I had felt so much these past few years by joining Fairy Tail that I feel like I will never be able to repay them for all that they had given me. Unknowingly they had healed so many of my wounds until not even a scar remained. I wished my mother were here to see me now, I could only imagine how proud she'd be and how happy she would be here too.

I felt something hot and wet drip down my cheek and I started slightly, surprised. It still hurt to think about my mother, yet as I wiped away the single tear and let the remains drip to the floor, I couldn't help but smile softly. Suddenly sensing someone watching me I stood up straighter and turned my head, seeing a bulky shape standing slightly in the shadows but I knew who it was. "Did you come to see the paintings too?" I asked Laxus as he stepped forwards, looking at me a little confused.

"What you crying for?"

"Oh…" I touched my face to make sure I wasn't still crying, smiling as I felt a little silly. "I was just thinking about my mother. It's been so long since I last saw her, it brought back a few painful memories but not as many as it used to." I answered, giving a slight shrug as Laxus came and stood next to me, turning to look at the canvas in front of us, one where Erza was crushing both Natsu and Gray under her foot for making her drop her cake and I was running to rescue them. I gave a small giggle. I remember that one.

"Why don't you go see her?" Laxus asked me suddenly and I stopped, looking up at him with a blank look. "Your mother."

"She passed away when I was much younger." I answered immediately, the truth not hurting me anymore. "But I made her a memorial on top of the cliff just outside of the city. I go there each year on the anniversary of her death and I enchanted the flowers there so that they would never die." Giving a soft sigh I took a step back, tilting my head to look at more of the canvases hung higher on the wall. "I wish I could have shown her this place, she would have loved to hear everything I have to tell her."

"You'll get your chance." Laxus answered, his tone surprisingly soft. "If you believe in an afterlife, that is."

"I'd like to think there is such a thing. Thinking that my mother is waiting for me on the other side means I'm not so afraid of dying." I answered him, turning and beginning to walk away. "I have so many stories to tell her about my adventures and all of you here…she wouldn't believe half the things I'd tell her, I don't think."

"Wait!" I stopped at the urgency of Laxus's tone, looking back with a soft blink of confusion. He blushed slightly, clenching his jaw and I heard his heart beat a little faster when I focused my hearing on him. "It's just…you sound like you're resigned to die." He informed me before standing up a little taller, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. "And that's not acceptable, not in this guild. You don't only carry your life on your shoulder, but the lives of everyone else. If you were to die too soon, then you'd be at fault for wrecking their happiness." He stated before angling his body, pointing a finger straight at me. "So strive to live, otherwise you're just being selfish."

I'll admit, I was a little shocked that Laxus would say such a thing. Not because it sounded unkind or it was demanding, more to the point, he was quite perceptive with his words and also very poignant. I was extremely touched and it showed in my features as my face relaxed, hair slowly sliding off my shoulder with a delicate swish as it brushed against my legs. "Laxus, there's no need to concern yourself for me." Speaking softly I turned around to face him, reaching up a hand to tuck my hair behind an ear. "I haven't finished going on my adventures. There is still plenty left in this world that I wish to do before I leave, so I have more to tell my mother when I eventually do find her." Turning back I started walking away, my hand going to brush against my Fairy Tail insignia. "After all, this guild would fall apart in a matter of days without me here to fix it back up again. Face it Laxus, I'm not going anywhere." And with that, I disappeared from sight with a rustle of black hair following my shadow.


	31. Chapter 31

"Careful everyone! We only have a few days left until the parade, so let's all do our best!" I encouraged as I helped set up the decorations in the street, making sure that there were no mishaps, however everything seemed to be proceeding according to plan.

"Hey Fae, where are these lanterns meant to go?" Romeo asked so I turned around towards his voice, inspecting the lanterns closely.

"Those are to go down the main street, ask Happy and Natsu to help you to hang them up and light them, but warn him that if he so much as singes any of them, he'll be answering to me." I said warningly before smiling. "But I'm sure you can handle it. Thank you Romeo!"

"No problem." He said with a grin before calling Natsu and Happy over. The entire city was excited for the parade, the harvest festival already getting well underway as merchants came from all over, setting up stalls and the children were all rushing about, constantly smiling and laughing as they played and watched everyone work.

A group of them raced past me however a little girl tripped, crying out but I quickly caught her with a hand under her stomach, supporting her weight before I set her on her feet again. "Steady now little one, you must be more careful." I told her gently, digging a hand into my pocket and pulled out a lollipop for her to take, the treat instantly making her eyes widen happily. "We don't want any accidents happening, do we?"

"No miss!" She chanted before taking the sweet and dashing away, laughing gleefully.

"Wow Fae, you really know how to look after everyone." Wendy said to me as she and Carla came over. "Children make me a little nervous, they can be really energetic and overwhelming sometimes." She admitted, blushing a little so I ruffled her hair.

"Children admire you, Wendy, so don't allow that to go to waste. You should always make an effort to leave a good impression on young children, it's a good practice to try and teach them something important when you meet them." I informed her. "Could you help me with these banners, please? They need to hang across the street but everyone else is already busy doing something else."

"Of course!" Wendy nodded her head before looking at Carla. "We'd love to help, right Carla?"

"Better someone with sense do something to help rather than any of those brainless baffoons." She answered in her posh tone, making me chuckle as I summoned my wings and together, Wendy and I lifted the first banner to secure it evenly between buildings, Carla holding her up as we made sure the ties were secure before moving onto the next.

We worked all day to get preparations finished before we then started on our floats the next day. For the most part they had been completed, however some needed finishing touches such as a coat of paint or the last pieces of decoration. Everyone pitched in and I was glad that for once, no one got into a fight, they were all working in perfect harmony. It was nice to see everyone getting along. Even Natsu and Gray were working together, though they were under Erza's very watchful eye.

"Fae! Fae!" Juvia's voice was calling to me so I looked over to her as she ran over, smiling brightly. "My darling Gray and I will be going on our date tomorrow, so may we please be excused from our chores? I shall gladly take up the slack the day after as well as my beloved's, please say you'll do this for us!"

"Of course Juvia, I had not realised that your date had come around so soon. I'll speak to the master and let him know but don't worry, I'll take over your chores and make sure everything gets done, you don't have to worry about a thing so you just go out and enjoy yourself." I told her and she squealed with delight, throwing her arms around me in gratitude.

"You are positively an angel! I must go and informed my darling of the good news, oh I simply cannot wait!" I watched her go with a smile. I hope all goes well tomorrow, I'll be sure to keep an eye on the weather and if there's even a single cloud, I'll blow it away so that everything will be perfect for them. Juvia certainly deserves this, she's been looking forward to tomorrow for an entire month now.

Shaking myself awake I turned around and head back into the guild to collect the next box of supplies. I tidied up a little, shifting some of the decorations into a more sensible order then reached up onto a shelf to pull down a box of the fireworks and sparklers for the children. Since the parade was the day after tomorrow, these will need to be inspected and checked to make sure they were safe to use, though I did not foresee a problem.

I frowned slightly, rising onto the very tips of my toes to try and reach but my fingers fell just a few inches short. Without warning, however, I was lifted off the ground by two strong arms and then settled on a broad shoulder, a startled squeak escaping me as I looked down to see Laxus below. I had not even sensed him come, I must work on my focus, I have been very distracted as of late and I cannot allow my senses to slip. "Need a hand?" He asked, a hint of a smirk on his face as I blushed slightly, stomach tightening nervously.

"Thank you, I just need these boxes up here…" I trailed off, reaching out and picked the first one down. Laxus offered the hand opposite to the shoulder I sat on so I placed the box on his hand and he easily lowered it down to the ground before raising me back up again so I reached for another. I pulled down all the boxes I needed, however the last one rested at the very top and even on Laxus's shoulder I could not reach. "Hold on a moment, there's just one more." I said then began to climb up, scaling the rickety shelves.

"Be careful. That thing looks older than my gramps." Laxus mused and I had to hold back a chuckle at his dry sarcasm. Giving him a nod back downwards I lifted myself up so that I stood on the shelf, reaching up for the top box and slowly pulled it down. It was long and very dusty, but also a little heavy but I lifted it up with ease, twisting and slowly allowed it to descend into Laxus's hands. "Got it." He informed me so I nodded, shifting my weight and began to climb back down.

The shelf I stood on cracked before suddenly the entire case jerked, leaning forwards precariously and I gave a startled yelp as my weight dropped, the shelf collapsing completely and I fell. "Watch out!" Laxus shouted, catching me quickly however when the huge cabinet started to tilt towards us he quickly turned around, covering me with his body as with no time to spare, the entire cabinet dropped down and threatened to crush us underneath.

"No!" I cried out as Laxus curled one arm around my head but I flung out a hand around his waist and quickly put up a shield around us mere milliseconds before the entire system collapsed. There was a hiss of dust and I flinched, closing my eyes and curling up instinctively, however when nothing touched us and the sound settled I allowed myself to relax. Slowly opening my eyes I suddenly realised just how close Laxus was to me.

My back was pressed against his hardened muscular chest, one leg somehow intermingled between my own with arm curled over me however the other was tucked underneath me, hand gripping my rounded chest and immediately we both froze. A heartbeat later we scrambled away from one another, alarm on both of our faces as we remained locked inside the force field, which gave us very little space to ourselves and even with our backs pressed to the shield, out legs continued to touch and his foot accidentally up my skirt. "I didn't mean it! Sorry." He quickly said, blushing darkly as I breathed a little heavily, pressing my legs together and curling up tight as I felt my face and chest go bright red.

"No…no it's alright, it was an accident." I excused for him before quickly lifting my hand, two fingers locking together to then flick outward. "Restore." I commanded and I felt the magic flow through me, the mess around us fixing itself so that once the cabinet was set back to rights I was able to drop the shield and we both quickly leaped to our feet. I gripped my arm, struggling to think of what to say and Laxus looked the same, unable to meet me in the eye. "Um…we should…we should get these outside." I said quickly, hurriedly grabbing three of the boxes and carried them outside.

I hesitated at the door, turning so that my ear was directed back inside the basement where I heard Laxus curse quietly to himself. "Stupid! You're so stupid." Unable to hide it, I smiled a little sheepishly then quickly moved forwards, carrying the fireworks upstairs where I was instantly greeted with an excited Natsu.

"Alright! Time to get the party started!" He grinned, lunging for one of the boxes but I lifted a foot and cracked it down on his feet, leaving a red imprint on his face as I halted him in his place and he groaned, slowly falling to the ground.

"These aren't toys Natsu and certainly not for children. If I catch you within ten feet of these, I'll bury you under the ocean. Understand?" I warned, sounding perfectly seriously as he croaked from the ground.

"Okay." Satisfied I gave a firm nod of my head before setting down the boxes somewhere I could keep an eye on them whilst I helped Mira in the kitchen. People would be hungry after a long day at work so together we got a good feast going.

"So are you excited for our battle?" Mira asked as she glazed the meat, tossing a beautiful smile at me.

"I'll admit, I'm a little nervous." I told her. "You're quite a high standard, Mirajane, I'm not sure if I'm skilled enough to match you just yet. In any case, it's all about the parade, so as long as I can put up a good fight I'm sure the crowds will be happy."

"Don't doubt yourself Fae, you're incredibly strong. Personally, I feel that you're on level with the Master and Gildarts. You've been training for many long years and haven't fallen out of practice for the length of time we were out of action, so if anything, _I'm_ the one who should be watching my back." She answered. Mirajane always knew how to make someone feel better. I loved her for it. We sent a smile at one another. "No matter what happens, I hope we'll still be friends."

"Of course Mira, nothing can change that, especially not a simple friendly brawl." She giggled in agreement before putting the meat on the spit. We worked together, creating a delicious spread of food which everyone soon devoured, starving from working so hard all day. I scolded several of them for bad manners, constantly cleaning up spillages and dropped food but I wouldn't change anything for the world. It was simply just part of being a member of Fairy Tail.


	32. Chapter 32

It was the morning of the parade and the final preparations were being made, however when the doors to the guildhall burst open and Juvia raced inside, everyone stopped as she ran straight towards myself, Levy, Mirajane, Lucy and Wendy. "It is finally happened, my dream has come true! My beloved Gray and I…are to be married!" She practically screamed as several jaws dropped, Gray sauntering inside with his thumbs hooked into his pockets, shirtless and looking a little embarrassed.

"You had to go and blurt it out like that, didn't you?" He sighed but Juvia was too ecstatic to even hear him, squealing as she gripped all our hands, continuing to babble.

"Isn't it just wonderful? Look at this beautiful ring! My beloved Gray is exceptionally good at ring buying it seems as this is the most perfect ring any girl could ever ask for!" She said and she was waving it so excitedly that I had to grasp it to keep it still, allowing for all us women to gather close around and look at it closely, eyes wide as Juvia continued to squeal and wriggle in joy.

"Wow!" Lucy breathed at the white gold diamond ring, the delicate stone set between two sapphires. Water and ice. A perfect choice, Gray. "Amazing Juvia, congratulations!" We all offered our sentiments, elated for her and Juvia simply could not contain herself, turning into a pool of heated water on several occasions until we could convince her to get a grip of herself. Erza immediately demanded cake to celebrate, so Wendy, Mirajane and I whipped up a cake for Gray and Juvia, though I think Gray would have been happier keeping everything quiet as the men all spanked him on the shoulder and teased him.

"Oi salamander, you're falling behind! Get yourself a girl already!" Gajeel yelled at him as he protectively and possessively curled his arms around Levy as she tried to eat cake, earning a stomp to his foot as she pouted at him.

"I ain't got time for that kinda stuff, I'm busy kicking your ass!" He yelled, leaping up into the air with that crazed, fiery expression that he always wore before he was about to do something rash but I merely swung my waitressing tray and smacked him on the face, making him freeze before crumbling to the ground.

"Oh no you don't, we've still got a parade to put on and I won't have you destroying this place Natsu, especially when Juvia and Gray are trying to celebrate!" I reprimanded him as he got up and dusted himself off, pouting slightly.

"No fair Fae, sneak attacks aren't allowed!" I just arched an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge me again but he backed away sheepishly, holding up a hand. "My bad. I'll just go sit down quietly." Nodding my head in approval I started to get people organised, telling them to start changing into costumes and preparing the floats for the parade.

"Hey Fae, you feeling confident about your fight against Mira?" Macao asked as I passed him and Wakaba. "Make sure you do your best, I've got three hundred jewels resting on you."

"You're gambling money on this?!" Romeo demanded before slapping a hand over his face with a deep groan, Asuka frowning sweetly.

"What's gambling?" She asked so I lifted her up with a chuckle, balancing her on my hip and she grinned broadly at me.

"Gambling is something that bad grownups do, little sweetie pie." I told her simply as I reached out and picked up another plate of cake for her, making her beam and instantly her little hands grabbed it from me. "So make sure you don't ever grow up to be like that, okay?"

"Okay!" She agreed, already stuffing her mouth full of cake and I laughed again before passing her over to Bisca. "Mommy, Uncle Maccy is a bad grown up! He's gambling!" Asuka announced proudly with frosting all over her mouth and Bisca chuckled as she wiped it clean with a napkin.

"Is that right sugar?" After giving a quick lecture about being responsible and setting an example to the younger generation at Wakaba and Macao, I sent them on their way to get things ready, Romeo laughing as they quickly scuttled away. Master watched over everything carefully, everyone getting their floats in the parade into position ready for the evening, however for the morning and most of the afternoon, we were free to do whatever we wanted.

I went off with Wendy and Carla, the two of them asking if I would accompany them to visit all the stalls so I agreed. The atmosphere was just like the old days and it took me way back to my first harvest festival. It also took me back to the time Laxus had created that Thunder Palace above the entirety of Magnolia. That was almost ten years ago now, how the time flies. "Oh wow, look at that!" Wendy gasped, running over to where large blobs of water were floating in the air, supporting little goldfish as children squealed and tried to catch them.

"I just hope Happy doesn't find this place or the fish will very quickly be gone." I mused and Wendy giggled, Carla agreeing with me. Wendy's eyes sparkled as she watched the fish, admiring the pretty display before she glanced to the left and quickly grabbed my hand.

"Look over there! Let's take a closer look everyone!" She quickly raced off, Carla holding a paw after her.

"Slow down Wendy! You're acting like a child!" Carla called after her but Wendy only spun around, laughing brightly as her pigtails swirled before she hurried to the next stall. I looked down at Carla who sighed but smiled affectionately after her so I picked the small exceed up and carried her in my arms so that no one stepped on her.

"The festival is always exciting, when I was younger I'd always race around each and every stall and make sure I did not miss a single game." I related to Carla who chuckled.

"Yes, it is a rather enjoyable, isn't it? There are some very delicious smells around here." She agreed, sniffing the air and I took a moment to draw in the scents also, noticing the strong levels of sugar, meat and grease, but it was not together unpleasant. "Hmm…Wendy! Do be careful!" Carla yelped, seeing Wendy trip and fall but I was next to her in a flash, arm curling over her back and catching her waist to hold her up easily against me.

"Careful now Wendy, in crowds like this it's very easy to get lost or hurt. Please stay a little closer to us so that we can look after one another." I said as I set her correctly on her feet and she dusted herself off, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank you very much, I'll be more careful." She promised as Carla gave a little poof before she stood a human girl with white hair, a tail and cat ears, her expression looking mightily displeased.

"You simply must be more careful! Should you fall to the ground you could be trampled to death and that simply won't do!" Carla berated her but I placed a hand on the exceed's shoulder, trying to calm her temper. I knew she was just worried about Wendy but I did not want anything to be spoiled, not today of all days.

"How about we go and take a look around the markets? I hear they have wonderful souvenirs this year and even a jewellery stand. Let's just stay close together and if you feel at all insecure or worried then you can just hold my hand, I promise to make sure nothing happens to either of you." I said, the light catching my eyes and they turned a soft honey gold as my relaxed features instantly soothed Carla and made Wendy perk up again.

"Of course! Let's go Carla, we can buy something for Chelia!" She decided, quickly gripping my hand as well as Carla's before skipping forwards, still eager to see everything there was to see. We stopped at a clothes merchant's stall and Wendy tried on a very sweet dress of sky blue and white with a fashionable ruffled collar and a black bow. She bought it as she liked it so much and Carla found a cute little pink dress with a floral skirt and a flower attached to the sash. It was the perfect fit in her cat form and we even found her a little hat to go with it, so we bought both as well before moving on.

Wendy squealed when she found a stall selling all kinds of small animals, from birds to rabbits to little mice. The stall tender allowed her to stroke some of them and when she offered food to the exotic birds, they all flocked to her and she giggled as they pecked gently at her hair and clothes, searching for food. Once we came away from there, several sparkly objects caught our eyes so we hurried over to the jewellery store, admiring all the stones and Wendy instantly held up a pretty necklace, beaming as she tried it on.

"It looks very good on you Wendy." I complimented her. "However, I think I see something that'll suit you better." Reaching out I picked up three bracelets. They were made of black cord woven into a plait with several crystal beads decorating them, however they had a beautiful silver heart charm where at the centre lay an enchanted crystal. "See this stone? You can enchant it to contain an image of whoever you share these bracelets with. They always come in specific groups and they're very new on the market."

"These would be amazing to wear with Chelia! Real friendship bracelets!" Wendy gasped, looking at them with sparkling eyes. "Excuse me sir, but how much for these three?" She asked and the merchant instantly smiled crookedly.

"Ten thousand jewels." Wendy's jaw dropped. "Each." Carla's jaw joined hers, the both of them staring and gasping in shock at the huge amount of money that those small bracelets cost. It was a little pricey, however I don't think Wendy will ever be able to find bracelets quite like that again, or even for a cheaper price.

"Please, allow me to verify their quality." I requested, holding out my hand and Wendy quickly placed them in my hands so I inspected them closely. The beads were not real jewels, however the crystal charms were authentic and as I tested the magic I was satisfied that they were good quality. "Thank you very much." I bowed before handing them back to him. "Wendy, would you like them?" I asked her and she blinked herself awake, touching a finger to her lip.

"Why, yes. Chelia would just love one and Carla can wear one too and I'd always wear mine, but I don't have thirty thousand jewels spare…I'll keep looking. Sorry for troubling you sir." Wendy bowed before she turned her dejected head away I stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"We shall buy them. Please, gift wrap them extremely carefully. They are very important to my friends here."

"Fae!" Wendy gasped, hands flying to her mouth as the merchant instantly started to wrap up the bracelets into pretty boxes.

"Goodness! You cannot be serious?" Carla questioned, staring at me. "That is far too much to ask for, we couldn't possibly accept…"

"Of course you can. I owe you both for over seven years' worth of birthdays and Christmases so please." I took the three packaged bracelets which were tucked safely into a bag and bowed my head, holding out the bag to Wendy. "Accept these as a gift from your big sister." Wendy was speechless, however after she finally managed to take the bag, she flung her arms around me and held onto me tightly.

"Thank you Fae, thank you so much!"

"Yes, we deeply appreciate your kindness." Carla agreed, smiling to me as I rubbed Wendy's head. When she let go I paid the full price for the bracelets, however after we'd moved away I took out one of the boxes and opened it.

"I'll place an enchantment on your bracelet, Carla." I said to her, making her blink in surprise. "It's a very simple enchantment, it'll mean that your bracelet will shrink and grow with you depending on which form you choose." Holding the bracelet I handed Wendy the box then held the bracelet between my palms, folding my fingers over it then murmured the enchantment, a flash of green light appearing before it was done. "There. Make sure you take special care of them you two."

"We will, we promise!" Wendy promised as she and Carla slipped theirs onto their slim wrists, smiling as they adjusted the bands to fit them perfectly before they smiled, holding hands so that their wrists connected and the charms gave a little flash, the image being captured within the crystal centre which showed the image perfectly.

Feeling quite uplifted we made our way to find some food and we each filled our stomachs, walking along the streets and munching our snacks however as we came to the candied apple stall, a long line of kids were looking pleadingly up at the seller. "Please ma'am, can't you just give us one? We'll share it with everyone!"

"Get out of here brats! I don't give charity, you either buy or you get lost!" The older and rather plump lady yelled at them, making them all flinch and sniffle sadly. "You heard me, get lost!"

"Calm yourself, ma'am, this is no way to speak to young children." I informed her coldly, shooting her a dark look and my eyes flashed red in warning, making her step back and gulp nervously as I slowly lowered myself down to face the group of a dozen children or so. "Now little ones, is it candy apples you want?" I asked and they nodded their heads sadly. "Well then, candy apples you shall have! Ma'am, please give as many as they want to each, I shall cover the expenses." I promised and she paused, hesitating a moment before nodding her head and started to hand out the toffee covered apples to all the children who all cheered.

"I'll help too!" Wendy declared, hurrying forwards and helped me to hand out the candy apples. "Here you go, enjoy! Chew it carefully and make sure to take small bites. Don't hurt your teeth on the toffee! It's important to always mind your manners, so make sure you don't push, there's plenty for everyone!" Wendy smiled sweetly, handing out candy apples alongside me, Carla also joining in as flocks of children came, taking one for themselves and calling out their thanks before disappearing.

The total stacked to quite a high number but I thoughtlessly covered the costs, not even batting an eyelid. "Fae, isn't this going to leave you without any money left?" Wendy worried but I just tossed her a smile as I licked my own candy apple, the three of us now holding our own.

"Remember Wendy, I've been going on S-Class quests for a very long time and haven't needed to pay rent since I used to share with Levy as we owned the house, so I had quite a large amount of savings tucked away." I told her, giving a wink. "It's been a long time since I've spent money on anything other than food and other essentials, so do not worry. Today has barely made a scratch." Wendy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly but she quickly recovered, laughing as we continued to explore the wonderful festival that the city had helped us put together.


	33. Chapter 33

Of course, no Fantasia parade can take place without the traditional Miss Fairy Tail contest, something that I had almost completely forgotten about however when I happened to looked at the entry list, I was shocked to find my name upon it. "Surprise!" Levy and Lucy cheered as they leaped on me behind. "We entered you, so come on! We have to get ready!"

"W-What? Oh no, no I couldn't possibly go up there…everyone will stare at me!" I blushed, looking away but Levy only grinned as she and Lucy pulled on my hands to pull me up backstage.

"It'll be fun! The prize money is _always_ useful to everybody so just go out there and enjoy yourself!" Levy said as they attempted to push me up the steps but I pretended to faint, dramatically flinging my arm over my face.

"Oh…the heat…the humidity! I feel…faint…" I groaned and the girls almost buckled underneath me as they tried to push me up, making me chuckle inwardly.

"Come on Fae, you've been working hard for months now! Just take a little time to have some fun, you'll have a great time." Lucy grunted as she tried to help force me up the steps, however when an iron clad hand gripped my wrist my eyes flew open and suddenly I was spinning upwards.

"Allow me to assist." Erza informed, pulling me up onto the stage where some of the other contestants had already gone up. Cana, Mirajane, Evergreen, even Bisca was joining in. "There, now compete with all your strength. Fairy Tail depends on you!" Erza declared, my head still spinning from where she'd somehow salsa danced me onto backstage and I struggled to remain upright. Huh?

Without another word Erza leaped onto the stage, taking the hearts of practically everyone in the room as men filled the guildhall to the very back, even stretching out onto the streets. So many men…do I really have to do this? "Come on Fae, be a good sport." Lucy grinned at me, giving a wink as Erza equipped a powerful set of armour which seemed to only intimidate the crowds but they loved it all the same. "Just relax and have some fun, you've earned a break!"

"Lulu is right, Fae, you need to loosen up!" Levy agreed, hugging my arm as Erza left the stage and Juvia went next, calling out to Gray with loving declarations which made him blush deeply but she took no notice. "We just wanted you to have some fun, I hope you're not mad."

"Mad? Of course I am not mad." I answered, giving them both a soft smile. "Just a little nervous. I never did anything like this before."

"Just use your transformation magi and you'll be fine! Any set of angel wings and the men out there will be putty in your hands." Lucy winked at me before she was called on stage with a rather flamboyant introduction so she summoned her spirits Virgo and Aries and they all posed for them in swimsuits, earning loud roars of appreciation from the audience. I do not think I could do that, I dislike showing too much skin.

"Well I'm next, wish me luck!" Levy grinned before walking on stage. She went for the cute, studious approach, wearing glasses and made words rain down from the ceiling using her Solid Script magic which had vastly improved since I had first met her. The word 'Butterfly' turned into an entire hoard and she added the words 'Bubbles', 'Sparkles' and 'Petals' to the mix, creating a rather stunning display though Gajeel rather loudly shouted out that she was his girl and any creep that stared too long would get a beating. I chuckled quietly to myself.

"What should I even say when I go up there?" I wondered to myself, however Mirajane suddenly appeared next to me.

"Say something cute like, 'Your Big sister is here so don't worry about a thing!', the boys always love that kind of thing." She advised me, giving her pretty smile and instantly I felt uplifted.

"Alright, that's something at least." I gave a weak laugh as Max started to introduce me.

"And now for our final contestant, we have a woman who embodies all angelic qualities and is always ready with a smile for any of your personal needs. Introducing for the first time in a Miss Fairy Tail Contest, the Feathered Fairy, Fae Haruki!" Blushing modestly at Max's words I stepped out onto stage and walked to the middle, cheeks rosy from my blush but I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to do it properly and give it my all. After all, it is a competition!

"Hello boys, don't worry." I gave them a smile as I leaned down and pressed a hand to my cheek. "Your big sister is here to kiss you better." The men went absolutely nuts, cheering until the roof shook and I giggled slightly to myself as I stood back up again, Max beaming as he invited me to demonstrate a little of my magic. "I have something very special in mind just for you all today, so make sure you're watching closely!" I encouraged as I spread my palms upwards and transformed my clothes and appearance.

My hair began elegantly twisted up into an eastern style with beautiful ornaments holding it together, a large white kimono with pink sakura blossoms decorating the fabric. Only some of my hair remained loose around my back and shoulders, the rest lifted up into a traditional geisha style as my lips were painted red and a flower print appeared on my brow. Everyone's jaws dropped as I delicately opened my fan and hid part of my face, playing coy. "Big sister will take care of all your needs."

Suddenly everyone was yelling, eyes wide yet they whistled, whooped and cheered at the same time. I smiled softly, noticing a few slack jaws amongst the people I knew well. The one I found most amusing was Laxus. He stared at me as if I were a ghost or a complete stranger however when he realised I was looking directly at him, he quickly closed his mouth and turned away. I chuckled again, giving a polite bow before I walked off the stage and the moment I was out of sight, returned to my normal clothes. "That was probably the most embarrassing thing I have ever done in my life." I breathed as my friends all skipped towards me.

"You were great! They totally loved you!" Lucy laughed before her head lifted. "Come on, they're already announcing the winner!" Grabbing my hand she and Levy led me back on stage where everyone else followed, lining up in the order that we were called. I felt more comfortable in my own clothes and I was content to listen as Max called out the rankings.

"In fifth place…Juvia Lockster! In fourth place…Levy McGarden! In third place…Lucy Heartfilia! In second place…Mirajane Strauss!" Ah, so Erza must of won, though Cana actually did receive quite a lot of attention this year, she may have won to be fair. "In first place…it's FAERIE HARUKI!" Well done Erza, I had no doubt…wait, what?

"Fae you won! You're Miss Fairy Tail for the year!" Levy beamed at me, shaking me awake as I blinked.

"What?" I blinked, astonished as everyone cheered. "Um…thank you?" I answered, slightly unsure of how to respond however everyone took it with good cheer, grinning at me brightly and I blushed, unused to the attention. I had no idea that such a tactic would work, I think Mirajane might have planned this from the very start as she was wearing that knowing look that meant she had somehow predicted the outcome of something.

All the same, I eventually relaxed and laughed, enjoying myself as we all gushed about the contest before we all ran to make final preparations for the parade this evening. Wendy came running up to me with Carla, both of them complimenting my choice of outfit but I assured them it was a very quick decision and that it would be very unlikely that I would ever try anything like that again.

"Never mind that now, we have to get you ready! Come on Wendy, Carla," I winked cheekily at them. "Big sister is here to help."


	34. Chapter 34

The parade was about to start and I stood at the very back on the last float, facing Mirajane. Our float was a simple flat platform, however Freed had placed wards around the outside so that we were locked inside an arena, meaning none of our attacks would break out and cause any damage. I just hope they'd hold. "You ready?" Mirajane asked and I nodded my head as the parade started to move. "Remember, this is just for show, there's no need to go full out."

"Do not worry, I'll be sure to go easy on you." I teased as the both of us started to glow, wind rushing around us as we selected our first forms. I knew instantly what Mirajane would choose, her very strong Satan Soul. I smirked, heart beating with anticipation as I chose Lightning Deity, feeling static crackle through me as we began to move into view of the people. It was time. "Let us show them what true power looks like, Mira."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Her deeper voice answered and I grinned, eyes flashing before without warning we flew at one another at full speed. The resounding crack split the air and several people yelped in fear, the echoing thunder resonating as my fit connected directly with Mira's. Our eyes met as we waited for silence, our float moving through the street. After a few heartbeats, the crowd suddenly roared and I couldn't help but feel empowered by their cheering.

Mira and I sprang back at one another before going at one another again, darting about our barrier locked arena. We most so fast that we were mere flashes of light and brief frozen images each time we connected, bounding off our walls as we went at for one another. Seeing an opening I dropped my weight but opened my wings, spiralling around to cover Mira's vision and with her distracted by my wings I struck out, a foot connecting with her side and she slammed against the barrier, making it hum and crackle slightly but she was quickly up once more.

I sprang backwards as far as I could, lowering my stance and bolts of lightning began to jump between my hands, gathering energy as Mirajane smirked and readied her own attack, a dark globe appearing at her hands. "Evil Explosion!"

"Thunder Sword!" I responded, the charge now complete so I allowed the beam of lightning bolts to shoot straight towards Mira. We both knew that neither attack would hit its intended target, however neither of us held back, allowing both to meet in the middle and the consequential explosion filled the entire float even in its sheer size. I had to quickly defend, lifting my arms and turning to use a wing to shield me and I managed to hold my ground.

Before the smoke had even cleared I heard Mirajane gun straight for me, giving a demonic roar so I quickly zapped out of the way, disappearing as she punched a fist straight against the shield where my head had been mere moments before. My lightning fast reflexes kept me at pace with her as the two of us growled, striking blows at one another before I lifted a hand, directing it at her back. "Blast Bolt!" She turned ready to defend however before the attack launched I disappeared, reappearing behind her and struck her from behind however, as I expected, she quickly managed to defend though not as securely as before.

She winced, taking the attack at full blast and it pushed her backwards as I stood up, giving a flap of my wings as her own quivered. Taking a moment to recover she stood up, flexing a claw. "You really are tough, very few people can keep up with me." She told me with a smirk. "It seems I really am out of practice."

"Not at all, we are merely both holding back for the sake of there being citizens present." I answered her, graciously dipping my head. "I recognise your immense magical power, Mirajane, you are indeed a thrilling opponent. We should do this more often."

"Agreed." She chuckled, however contrasting to her usual girly giggle, this one was dark and sinister. "Ready for round two?"

"Thought you'd never ask." I answered, sparks jumping off my skin as I smirked back at her, lowering my weight. We flew at one another with a yell, fists ramming directly into each other's jaws and we would have been thrown backwards from one another had we not instinctively grabbed onto one another to deliver a second blow. Meanwhile, the crowds were going crazy, cheering as we slugged it out in our own brawl, shouting and chanting either name to support who they wanted to win.

Mirajane made another attack at me with her magic, lifting her hands up. "Demon Blast!"

"Electric Discharge!" Pummelling my fist against my palm a flare of giant sparks and bolts flew from my body, forming a shield which protected me from the blast, deflecting it effectively off onto the barrier and I felt it tremble around me, however I took no notice as Mirajane flew straight for me. I twisted and punched upwards, delivering an uppercut to her stomach however her leg whipped around and struck my chest, sending me flying back against the barrier wall and I quickly had to move as she came after me again.

We continued to fight, our grins never once leaving our faces, however as I managed to wrap my arms around Mirajane's leg I flung her around, sending her flying towards the other side of the float. "Blast Bolt!" I called, quickly charging up another attack and struck Mirajane with it, however I underestimated the barrier's duriability and this time, Mirajane crashed straight through and it shattered around us.

The crowd went crazy as Mirajane recovered in a mere second and turned to face me, so I flew up to meet her, the two of us sparring high above the crowds, ever mindful of the people below even as we exchanged punches blow for blow. It was exhilarating and I could feel Mirajane's raw power lying coiled and withheld, making me smile all the more. This was fun!

"Alright you two, that's enough! Get down here before you destroy everything!" Makarov yelled and we froze, punches a hair's breadth away from one another, the crowd gasping before suddenly cheering loudly. Mira and I descended for our float, allowing our magic to fade away however our outfits exchanged for elegant ball gowns. Mira wore one of black with huge ruffles, hair elegantly twisted upwards whilst mine was of white with feathers all down the skirt. It was a very effective look also considering the fact that Mirajane had white hair and mine was pitch black.

We smiled and cheered, standing hand in hand upon our float which started to shine, the magic activating and it began to raise us higher on a pedestal, making me laugh as the plain float transformed into a palace with the both of us standing on the top. "That was fun!" Mira beamed, laughing and waving with me as flowers were tossed onto our float.

"It certainly was and I think the crowd enjoyed it." I agreed, catching one of the roses and I smiled as Mira also caught one. We raised our hands together, fingers woven through the other's and basked in the glowing lights of the lanterns and torches, confetti flying everywhere until everyone did our signature Fairy Tail salute and I looked up at my emblem proudly, my breathless smile never once leaving my face.

For a few moments I closed my eyes, basking in the sensation of sound, not ever wanting to wake up or leave this fairy tale that I seemed to be living. It was ironic, my life would be so idyllic and perfect and I would be a part of a guild called Fairy Tail. Still, I will count my blessings so that when I am old, grey and no longer able to move my ancient bones, I will be able to look back upon these treasured memories with only the utmost of fondness and elation.


	35. Chapter 35

My arms were full with several bags of shopping, mostly full of gifts ready for Christmas but there were also lots of supplies for baking. It was just around the corner, however most prominent was Elfman and Evergreen's wedding. It was only a few days away and I must start the cake immediately. Ideally I would have finished it weeks ago, however then it wouldn't be fresh and then it would not be perfect, I cannot disappoint Evergreen on her special day. I will make this cake absolutely the best she could dream of. I'd asked her for hints about her theme and all I had to go on was winter and fairies. Of course, I should have suspected that would be the case.

Twelve tiers. I can do this. How hard can it be? I'll only be turned to stone if Evergreen does not approve. I've already planned out each layer and what their flavours will be. Chocolate, vanilla, lemon, strawberry, coffee, fruit, banana, red velvet, white chocolate, fudge brownie, marble cake and finally salted caramel. These were all the flavours I could come up with, so let's hope I can get this all done and decorated in time.

I set to work in my kitchen, using magic to help me control several things at once. Poor Wendy was ill with a cold and therefore wasn't able to help me but I had stopped off at her room and given her a get well soon pack of sweets, special cough drops, tissues and proper cold medicine that I'd picked up for her. I hope she gets better soon, it's not pleasant having a cold when it's so close to Christmas.

Wearing a kitchen apron I wriggled my fingers, holding up several mixing bowls and whisked the sugar into the butter, adding the eggs one by one, keeping careful watch over the different quantities I was dealing with as some cakes would be bigger than the others. My oven was large enough to take four cakes at a time so I put them in once all the mixtures were perfectly whisked up and whilst they baked, I started on the next set of four.

I did this until I had twelve wonderful smelling cakes set out all in a row on my table, levitating them to set them down on the cooling racks. Now to start with the fillings. I'd matched the perfect flavour filling to each sponge, so I started whipping up each flavour, wiping the sweat from my brow as I worked hard to get everything done quickly.

With all this done I prepared the cakes, separating them through the middle to fill them with their frostings before covering them in their first layers, making sure they were cool before doing so. I used my ice magic to cool the entire room, growing ice crystals around the table and on the ceiling. I shivered slightly, feeling the chill but then quickly brushed it off. After the first frosting layer was done I added another to smooth the cakes over, making sure the edges were level before I then added the layer of fondant.

I kept it plain white, layering each cake and cutting off any excess before I started to decorate each layer individually for the time being. I piped swirls and decorative patterns onto every other layer, carefully working my craftsmanship, biting on my lip as I focused. I'd just finished the third layer when my doorbell suddenly rang, making me stop and look up. I wasn't expecting anyone…maybe it was Evergreen to ask how the cake is coming along? Though when I checked, it didn't smell like Evergreen.

Going over to my door with my hair pinned up, flour smeared across my cheek and my apron covered in mess, I opened the door to find an embarrassed Laxus. Instantly my cheeks flushed and I jolted to stand straighter, remembering in a flash our rather awkward last encounter. He looked like this was the last place on earth that he wanted to be, tusking slightly and looking away. "Ever sent me. Told me to ask how the cake was coming along."

"Oh! Come on in, you can see for yourself." I answered, opening the door wider and stepping aside so that Laxus can see the kitchen. He peered inside, seeing the rather catastrophic looking mess of my kitchen as well as twelve cakes all dotted around the place. I stepped away from the door, allowing him inside so that I could return to my cake decorating.

"You did all this today?" He asked, surprised.

"That's right, I was up at four in the morning to start but it's a lot of time, I hardly even notice the time flying by." I answered, tossing a rosy cheeked smile over my shoulder and I listened carefully, hearing Laxus's heart give a little thump. Turning away I blushed a little further. So he feels embarrassed too, that's alright, I'll just not mention it. I don't want things to be awkward between us. "Here, take a seat. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine." He answered, slowly sinking into a seat so I nodded my head and turned back to my work, lifting my hands and used levitation magic to guide my piping tools, swirling my finger to direct the piping nozzle as my other hand guided the flow of the icing. "You're pretty good at that."

"Years of practice. When Mira was gone, I took over management of the kitchens so for all weddings, birthdays and Christmases, I had to bake quite a lot of cakes and I became quite practiced at it." I answered him, finishing the third cake and made to move onto the next but I paused, glancing over at Laxus. "Do you want to try?"

"What?!" He jerked back in alarm but I only grinned and reached out for his hand.

"Come! Trust me, give it a whirl." I invited, pulling him to his feet and placed the piping bag into his hand. "I'll help you, so it'll be a joint effort." I promised, lifting my fingers and wiggled them, small sparkles appearing as the magic kicked in. Laxus grit his teeth, a little wary as he inched the piping bag closer to the cake. I used magic to control where the nozzle went and Laxus kept a steady flow, the two of us completing this layer in a matter of minutes as my other hand spun around the cake on its table turner. "Great! You're a natural at this."

"I only held it." He answered, a slight rosiness touching his cheek. "I'll leave the rest to you, don't want to tempt fate." I chuckled, nodding as he handed back the piping bag and sat back down. "Mind if I kick back here for a while?"

"Not at all, I'd appreciate the company. With the wedding tomorrow, everyone else is busy making the preparations." Elfman was barely keeping his nerve, panicking over even the smallest thing and it took both his sisters to keep him from having a nervous breakdown whilst Evergreen was busy bossing everyone around to make sure everything was going according to plan. Turning back to the cakes I completed the last layers, the icing decorating the fondant looking pretty and almost like fine lace.

Reaching into one of my shopping bags I pulled out a tub of edible crystals, popping open the lid then flung them all up into the air, smiling as they glittering prettily then hovered, my hand slowly sweeping around to make them hover in the air before I directed them towards their positions, covering the cakes in the tiny gemstones. "Looks more like a performance."

"Well, I have an audience now." I answered, touching a finger to my lip as I smiled at him. "I have to show off just a _little_." A hint of a smirk touched his lips as I raised my hands, lifting up all my remaining decorating objects into the air as well as the food dyes. I mixed up all the necessities, rolling pin flattening the gum paste as it changed colour and I shaped each layer into delicate flowers.

I punched them together, forming pretty bouquets of hundreds of different flowers, adorning them onto the cake layers and added a fine layer of edible glitter over the top, making it look like a waterfall of glitter, a more intense gold at the top but it gently trickled away until I snapped my fingers. The previously enchanted glitter rose up slightly, gracefully hovering above the cake and glittering as they floated slowly downward like an endless stream. Nodding my head I then started added the final adornments.

Huge fairy wings like Evergreen's rose up from the table, ones I had made from rock candy and I secured them to the back of the cake so that the second layer looked like it would take off at any moment. There were also tiny sculptures of fairies and cute little beasts made from sugar which I added to several of the layers, placing them carefully before finally, I added the finishing touch. A lifelike model of both Evergreen and Elfman in their wedding day outfits, Ever's dress trailing down over the top layer of the cake so I positioned it so that it draped elegantly around onto the top of the second. "There, all done." The cakes were still all separate, however the effect was still extremely pretty.

"Wow!" Even the usually stoic and stern faced Laxus was impressed when he saw the finished result, though the cake was of course still in pieces. "Well, at least I can tell Ever she doesn't have to worry about the cake." I nodded my head, breathing a little heavily and I sank into a chair to rest my feet for a moment, glancing to the clock to see that it was now past six in the evening. "You okay?"

"Just a little knackered." I admitted, leaning back my head as I tried to brush away a flour stain which was still on my face. "I'll rest a little while then continue baking. Evergreen wants cupcakes and all kinds of things for the banquet afterwards. I'll have them all done by tonight so it's no problem, most of it is complete anyway."

"Yeah well, don't push yourself too hard. No need getting ill from exhaustion." Laxus returned, kicking up his feet and leaning back casually on my sofa. I glanced his way, giving a tiny chuckle to myself. I was glad he felt so comfortable in my home, he looked vastly different from the tight lipped Laxus that hung around the guild when not out on a quest.

"I'll take that into consideration." I responded to him, giving a sigh and curling up slightly, pulling my hair down from the twisted knot and it spiralled free, rushing around my shoulders and I pulled some over my shoulder to fiddle with it a little nervously. It took me a few moments, however when I realised what I was doing I froze in place. It's been years since I've done this, fiddling my hair as a means of comfort when I was faced with…someone that I liked.

Quickly I dropped my hands and leaped back to my feet, clapping my hands and rubbed them together, making Laxus shoot me a quizzical look. "Right! Back to work!" I declared then hurriedly went over to my kitchen, despairingly slightly at the mess. With a snap of my fingers the cutlery, bowls, baking tins and everything I'd used rose up and started to wash themselves up, the water going piping hot and soapy as I poured some washing up liquid into it.

I had everything washed and dried in moments, turning around as everything organised things back on the worktops after I'd wiped them down to start moving the cakes. Carefully I used both hands to magically levitate them towards the boxes I'd prepared for them. Once I had each cake steady I moved my other hand, twirling a finger to open the boxes and then lowered the cakes inside, securing the boxes shut with large ribbons then moved them out of the way where I knew the layers would be safe.

With my table now clear I started work again, making hundreds of fairy and beast cupcakes. Some were cute and flowery, with little fairies or wings, whilst others had models of tiny beasts and the rest had a mixture of the two. I thought they were cute and I knew Evergreen would like them. I don't think Elfman minded too much, seeing as when I'd asked him for any requests he'd just said make them as manly as possible, to which Evergreen had smacked him with her fan.

"You're putting a lot of effort into this." Laxus mused and I almost dropped the mixing bowl I was holding, having almost forgotten that he was still here. Hurriedly I retained my grip, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh…well…Evergreen asked me to help and of course I couldn't refuse. Plus I saw it as a challenge and I simply cannot resist testing myself." I told him admittedly as I put down the mixing bowl. "Here, you want to taste test for me?" I offered but Laxus just frowned at me. "I need an outside opinion." Eventually he sighed and rocked to his feet and sauntered over as I dipped my finger into the mixture to taste it myself, turning a smile up to him as he stood on the other side of the table. "Ready?" I asked, expecting him to take some for himself to taste, however before I even realised what was happening, Laxus ducked his head and took my finger with his lips and licked off the batter. "Eh?"

My entire world froze in place, smile stuck on my face before I suddenly squeaked, jerking violently and I tried to pull back however his firm grasp wrapped around my wrist, holding me in place as he licked off the last drop of cake batter from my finger then licked his lips, smirking with satisfaction as he looked down at my flushed face. "Now there's a face I don't see you make every day." He mused, leaning closer so that our faces were level. "Have I caught you off guard?"

"Um…uh…ah…" I stammered uselessly, my wrist still gripped in his domineering grasp. Suddenly he tugged me forwards and I felt myself get yanked across the table, my free hand quickly going to steady myself on the table as his face came dangerously close to mine. I don't know what his heart was doing as I was distracted by how fast mine was pounding.

I…I don't know what to do. I haven't ever thought of Laxus as partner material, however right now in the heat of the moment, all I could think about was how his tingling sent was sending electric shocks all the way through me and I was quickly becoming addicted to the sensation. It was like a lightning bolt had struck all my senses and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. How had I never reacted this way to him before? I must admit, the forwardness of his actions were actually quite…attractive. Wait, what on earth am I saying?!

As Laxus's smirk broadened down at me I gulped, mouth dropping open a little but Laxus only gave a dark chuckle, releasing my wrist and tuned away. "Relax, I'm not that type of guy." He told me, placing his hands in his pockets. "I'll show myself out." My wrist remained positioned helplessly where he'd released it, staring after it with wide orbs. Had that really just happened?

I stared after him, contemplating on what to do however a sharp pain forced me awake, hand jumping grip my chest where my hammering heart suddenly gave a tight jolt, making me hiss and collapse to the ground, steadying myself with one hand against the worktop of my kitchen as I struggled to breathe, wincing as my eyes stung with tears but I held them back.

Looking down I pulled away my apron and exposed my chest to reveal the crack like scar over my heart, faintly glowing in warning. I expected it to be a bad omen, however as I watched the scar gradually began to recede, shrinking until it was less than an inch wide. "What in the world…?" Lifting my eyes I stared at the door which Laxus had left through.

So strange, I had no words to offer an explanation. All I knew that whatever had just happened, it was all Laxus's doing.


	36. Chapter 36

Everyone looked beautiful today. The women were elegant and sophisticated and the men all wore their smartest suits. Even Natsu had made an effort, though I later learned from Levy that it was only because Lucy had marched over to his, wrestled him into the suit and forcibly combed his hair. I had to chuckle at the thought. I wore a warm coffee coloured dress with a golden flower decoration at the single shoulder. My hair today was pulled back and plaited elegantly, several smaller plaits also being worked into the design which hung over my bare shoulder.

The cathedral looked wonderful, perfectly pristine and the seats were covered in a white overlay with silver and green bows adorning them, large bouquets of flowers lining the aisle where Elfman stood at the alter, waiting. There was a full orchestra and choir present also and I shifted in my seat, greatly anticipating Evergreen's entrance.

Finally the doors opened and everyone turned to look. She breezed in, smiling rather proudly as her pure white gown which instantly billowed out, the huge ball gown dress layered with more frills than I'd ever seen before. All the same, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair was loose and wavy underneath her veil and as she walked past me, I saw that the back of her dress was adorned with long fairy wings trailing down behind her. "She looks so beautiful!" Levy whispered to me, gripping onto my hand tightly in excitement.

"She does." I agreed, giving a soft smile as Freed, Laxus and Bickslow gave her away. Elfman was still in shock, looking at Evergreen with his mouth practically on the floor before Mirajane gave him a little nudge, waking him up so that he could start to stammer out his vows.

"I so hope that will be me some day!" Levy whispered, resting a hand on her stomach which was starting to show the smallest of bumps.

"One day." I definitely agreed, my eyes flickering over to Laxus as he took his seat next to his grandfather. My heart gave another jolt so I hurriedly looked away. It was a wonderful ceremony and there were no lacking of tears as the final vows were said and Elfman was invited to kiss his bride. He was so dumbfounded that Evergreen had to smack him awake and claim the kiss for herself, earning laughter from the rest of us before we all leaped up, cheering and celebrating as Evergreen and Elfman led the procession out.

Snow was starting to fall however it just made it all the more perfect as Elfman suddenly lifted Evergreen up, chanting loudly. "I feel like a real married man!"

"You big dumb brute!" Evergreen yelled at him with no lacking of affection as we all gathered around for the photo. I stood with Levy, Lucy and Wendy, placing my hand on Wendy's shoulder and she beamed up at me before turning to stand neatly for the photo, smiling with her hands clasped in front of her. After a day of rest and taking the medicine that I had bought for her, she was back to her old self and recovered from her cold. Several pictures were taken, however I knew Reedus would already be painting and I anticipated seeing the finished works join the others in the Hall of Memory.

"Hmm…wedding's always have such a fragrant parfum. Meeeeeen." A deep voice mused and I jumped slightly as everyone started to bolt for the guildhall where the feast awaited.

"Ichiya! It's so good to see you, how have you been?" I asked him as he appeared next to me. Evergreen had invited all of Blue Pegasus to the wedding and they'd all responded with an acceptance, so I should have known that I would bump into Ichiya here. I notice that Erza has already scarpered.

"I have been well, thank you kindly for asking, Lady Fae. Tell me, with your wonderful parfum, how is it that you have not yet tied the knot? Men." He asked me, giving a rather knowing smile at me and for a moment I was perplexed as to what he could mean, the two of us walking back to the guild together as the gentle snowflakes brushed against us, falling from a pure white sky.

"Well, one must be patient and wait for their perfect match before they even consider engaging into such a union." I reasoned simply as Ichiya jogged to keep up so I slowed down my pace, keeping better pace with him as he remained beside me.

"A wise and virtuous decision! I wish you luck, Lady Fae. Meeeen. Your parfum will reap good fortune in love, I know this." He said, giving me a sparkling wink and I recoiled slightly as he then trotted off towards Anna who smiled affectionately at him before the two of them linked hands. Of course, I had almost forgotten. After the battle, Miss Anna and Ichiya had started seeing each other. It was a peculiar match and it freaked Lucy out a fair bit, however the two of them were obviously very besotted with one another.

I remember Natsu had once asked Miss Anna what she found even remotely attractive about Ichiya, however she had very simply but sweetly replied that she thought he was a beautiful man. I stopped in the street, watching them head towards the guild hand in hand. In all honesty, I couldn't help but feel a little left behind and not in the literal sense. Everyone else were all getting married and confessing feelings, everyone was moving forward and I felt a little lost. What am I to do with my life now? Soon I might be left behind completely and that would break my heart.

Looking upwards I watched the snow fell, feeling a chill crawl through me. I should have brought a coat, I did not exactly think this through. Shaking off the feeling I started to move forwards, however as someone came up behind me I felt something warm being placed around my shoulders and I found a black jacket enshrouding me. "You'll catch cold." Laxus informed me, placing a hand on my back and began to guide me forwards. "Come on, we don't want you getting left behind."

His words struck me like a knife through the heart. There was no way he could know just how meaningful those words were to me. Feeling much more settled I allowed him to guide me forwards, snuggling my arms underneath his warm jacket. "Won't you get cold?" I asked but he just shrugged, signalling that he didn't mind it. Not wanting him to catch a cold either, I snuggled close to him, leaning into his large frame and he started slightly.

"I'll keep you warm." I told him and he swallowed thickly, unsure of how to react before slowly he replaced his hand on my back, walking a little closer together. Back at the guild everyone was standing around the banqueting table, aweing at all the food however the moment I entered, Evergreen came rushing at me with a flurry of frills and grabbed my hands tightly in hers.

"You did an amazing job! It's more perfect than I can even describe, you really pulled through Fae!" Evergreen gushed at me and I smiled at her.

"It was my pleasure Ever." I answered her, glancing over to the cake. The enchanted gold sparkles flowed over the side of each layer like a fountain, shifting prettily around the decorations.

"And it tastes great!" Elfman grinned as he took a large bite out of the slice of cake he'd taken from one of the layers. Evergreen was instantly berating him, saying that he should have waited until after the starters and main courses and that they were supposed to cut the cake together. Elfman just grinned bashfully, calming her temper by saying that it was time to sit at the top table.

When I looked around the guildhall I hardly recognised it. Lights floated above, the ordinary benches and tables removed so that long tables rand down the length of the hall with a top table situated beneath the stage, everything decorated to look like a mixture between a winter wonderland and a garden party. The round tables were decorated with a clean white cloth with china teacups, pretty floral arrangements and tea cakes, however dotted around the place were numerous statues that Evergreen had insisted on using for decoration.

Sliding the jacket off my shoulders I held it out to Laxus, giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you Laxus, the gesture is most appreciated." I told him, handing it back to him before heading off to sit at my own table with Gray, Juvia, Natsu, Lucy, Cana and Erza.

"Fae! Glad you could join us." Cana grinned, already swigging on a bottle of alcohol. "It's a wedding so get drinking already!" She ordered cheerily, swaying in her seat as Erza looked at her disapprovingly.

"This is supposed to be a sophisticated event yet you are already bamboozled beyond belief. Have some restraint Cana!" She ordered firmly but Cana was already red faced and completely drunk.

"Why do I have to wear this stupid thing anyway? My own clothes work just fine!" Natsu complained at Lucy who glared at him hotly.

"Because it's a formal event!"

"Gray my darling, let us get married as soon as possible! I am in the wedding mood and everything here is just so magical!" Juvia declared, gripping onto Gray's arm tightly as he groaned, trying to push her off.

"You're being way too clingy!" He complained but Juvia ignored him, happily snuggling against him and I chuckled as I took my seat, sitting down peacefully as I reached for a glass of champagne and pulled it a little closer, taking a careful sip but no more. "Hey Fae, how's it hanging?" Gray asked.

"I'm alright, thank you Gray." I answered, looking up and smiling at everyone. "It's just…everything feels so surreal."

"I know what you mean." Lucy agreed, giving a sigh as she rested her elbows against the table. "After everything we've been through, it almost feels weird to have such normal lives now. I'm still waiting for my next adventure, but I can't go until I've found information about Aquarius's key!" That's right, in the battle of Tartarus, Lucy had sacrificed Aquarius's key in order to save everyone else.

"I'm sure it won't be long now Lucy, I have ears listening all over the continent for you. If there's so much as a whisper of the key then I'll know almost immediately." I informed her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "If all else fails, I can figure out a tracking spell and try and pinpoint its magical power, though this may take a very long time to accomplish."

"It doesn't matter, just so long as I get Aquarius back!" Lucy grinned and I nodded my head at her in agreement. Natsu and Gray started arguing with each other, starting up a fight however a sharp bark from both Erza and I had them sitting in their seats like scolded schoolboys. The laughter and gentle chatter was euphoric and I basked in the atmosphere, drinking tea until it was time for a toast and the speeches, where I then drank my champagne.

Mirajane got up on stage to perform a song or two, everyone cheering her at the end before food started to be served. Blue Pegasus had offered to serve as waiters and waitresses, so we enjoyed the luxury of having our food brought to us and our drinks never running dry, everyone enjoying themselves to fullest. As for the cake, after Evergreen and Elfman ceremoniously cut a slice from the cake, everyone soon piled forwards and devoured it. I was surprised that the twelve layers disappeared so rapidly, though when I saw Erza sitting with no less than fifteen slices all to herself, I found the main culprit. It made me chuckle.

Of course after all the food had been consumed, the tables and chairs were magically whisked away to open up the dance floor, lights dimming to a romantic glow as Evergreen spun Elfman about the floor, directing him in a rather vigorous waltz. Mirajane and Lisanna giggled together as Elfman stumbled for the hundredth time. All the same, I've never seen Evergreen smiling so freely.

As the next waltz started, people began entering the dance floor with their own partners. I saw Juvia drag Gray with her, almost knocking over everyone else in her wake and my smile broadened until I felt a gentle tap on my arm so I looked to see Wendy standing there, wriggling with a blush. "Um, Fae? Will you dance with me please? I'm not very good at dancing and Carla's over there with Happy…"

"I'd love to Wendy, shall I lead?" I offered and instantly she brightened, nodding her head enthusiastically so I took her hand and stepped onto the dance floor where I then helped her memorise the steps, taking it as slow as she needed before we brought it up to speed. "You're a natural Wendy, very light on your feet." I complimented her as I spun her under my hand then returned her to me.

"Only because you're such a good teacher, Fae." She answered with a giggle and I grinned back at her before the music changed to something very different, a foxtrot. Natsu didn't care for the steps, merely swung and dragged Lucy around with him whilst he cackled wildly and she yelled in fear for her life. "Oh my…"

"That Natsu…" I shook my head, exhaling before I stretched out my hand and grabbed a fistful of his scarf and yanked him back, making him yell as he flew into Gajeel and flattened him but as Lucy started spinning out of control and threatened to fall I held out my arm, catching her under her stomach so that she wouldn't fall. "Don't worry Lucy, I'm here." I reassured her gently, holding her upright until the spinning sensation in her head had quelled.

"Thanks a bunch, I owe you one." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief though blushed as she looked after Natsu. "He's such an idiot." I heartily agreed before spinning her around, taking both she and Wendy by the hand to dance with them. Gildarts was trying to persuade Cana to dance with him but she was too heavily latched onto her booze, disappointing him sorely.

Erza had claimed Gray and was rather ferociously leading him in the foxtrot, dragging him around and flinging him away as it suited her, Juvia glaring with a rather ominous aura about her whilst Lisanna tried to keep her calm. This guild was full of lunatics, I loved it so much. I danced my way around all my friends, enjoying the vast contrasts of music. I especially enjoyed country dancing with Natsu, the two of us spinning around with linked hands, grinning from ear to ear.

Everyone was enjoying themselves so much that the warmth of the guild seemed to only grow. I think I need a breath of fresh air. I feel so flustered after so much dancing! Heading towards the door I noticed someone creeping inside, looking around with a rather alarmed expression, however they were desperately trying to call out for help. "Uh, someone? Please help! Hello? Anyone?!" They were frantic, waving their arms and hardly able to breathe they were in such a panic so I placed a hand on their shoulder, making them shriek.

"Please calm yourself, my name is Fae, is there something the matter?" I asked and the man, who I presumed came from outside the city as he did not carry Magnolia's scent very strongly.

"Oh please, you've got to save us! Magnolia…it's about to be buried under an entire mountain of snow!" Instantly I was alert, grabbing the gentleman and dragged him outside so that no one else could hear.

"Explain." I commanded, folding my arms as the snow fell around us, growing a little thicker.

"I herd a flock of sheep on the other side of the mountain, it's…it's just so horrible!" He sobbed so I placed my hand on his shoulder once more, requesting that he took deep breaths so that he could speak coherently. "I was tending my sheep, trying to get them all inside before the snowstorm when I saw something coming. It was…huge! So monstrous and terrifying, I almost died on the spot for fear!" He ranted, still not entirely making sense. "A monster, some kind of snow beast, it ripped the top of a mountain off with just one swing! I saw it! It's coming this way, I ran here as quickly as I could…it's causing avalanches of catastrophic size just with one roar!"

"Where is this beast?" I demanded, glancing inside. This day is a joyous day, I will _not_ allow anything to spoil it for Evergreen and Elfman, especially not some monster. The changes of season always bring out new kind of beasts, I have no doubt that this one must have awoken with the winter and has started hunting for food.

"It's coming over that mountain there. You must beware, just one breath can freeze an entire city!" The man informed, panicked still so I nodded my head and started to make off.

"You don't think you're going alone, do you?" A voice demanded and I stopped, looking back to see Laxus following after me. He'd taken off his jacket and tie, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt as he moved forwards to follow me. "If this thing is as dangerous as it sounds, you might need an extra pair of hands."

"Evergreen will notice your absence, I don't want her to worry on her wedding day. I'll be swift, I'll deal with whatever it is that's coming and then I'll return before anyone will notice that I am gone." I reasoned, however just as I finished speaking a huge roar split the soft silence of the snowfall, a mountain trembling in the distance and a huge peak of snow started to slide down. Laxus had instinctively shot out an arm to shield me, glaring towards the sound.

"This is her big day, there's no way I'm going to let some stupid pest ruin it for her. I've already asked Freed to take care of everything and make sure she doesn't notice me gone. I'm going with or without you and that's _final_ , so let's just make this quick." He told me firmly and I stared at him slightly, my heart beating a little faster. He was being quite assertive, for some strange reason I found it quite attractive. Hiding my blush I nodded my head, stepping aside and spread my wings as they appeared.

"Need a lift?" Laxus scoffed but smirked, body becoming encased in lightning before he shot up into the air, powering straight towards the mountain and I had to rush to catch up. Cheek, he started ahead of me. It took no time at all to clear the city and head for the mountains where instantly gale force winds smacked against me the moment I landed, specks of ice grazing my skin as I lifted my arms to shield my face. "Laxus!"

"Here." His voice was much closer than I expected, from right behind me in fact and I jolted violently, leaping away from him.

"Oh! R-Right. Well, let's go beast hunting." I quickly turned around to hide my face, focusing on the task at hand. Where was our little monster? Surely it must be here, we had certainly heard something and that snow did not collapse for no reason. "So…where is it?"

"Keep a look out." Laxus replied, scanning the area to the best of his ability. "You'll freeze like that, you should have changed into something." I looked down at my coffee coloured gown then blushed, quickly pulling the material to hide the small slit which revealed my calf.

"I didn't exactly have time." I shot back at him dryly, shooting him a look but knowing he was right, I allowed myself to warm up by using the flames of Volcanic Priestess. "Ah, much better." I grinned, rubbing a horn as my hair smoked backwards. "Are you cold?" I asked him but he shook his head. I could see that he was lying, however as he was tightly gripping his fists and there was a very slight tremble in his body. "Here." I murmured, stretching out a wing and curled it around him, making him start in surprise. "I'll keep you warm."

Our eyes connected and I felt myself wanting to lean closer and simply inhale his scent but I quickly snapped myself awake, closing my parted lips and looked away hurriedly. We started to walk forwards, keeping a close eye on our surroundings however nothing came at us. "I'm thinking that this might just be a trick." I mused and Laxus nodded his head silently, crouching down to try and peer through the snow so I curled my wing a little closer around him, the warmth radiating from my skin keeping him warm.

"Let's go." He finally decided, standing up. Sparks crackled off his hair and skin in his irritation, so I placed a hand on his arm to calm him. No sooner had I done so, the ground began to tremble. "What is this?!"

"Avalanche?" I questioned, however as the snow shifted I cried out, feeling myself rise up and Laxus instantly went to steady me, grabbing my arm to keep a firm grip as a towering shape rose from where it had buried itself into the snow, my eyes going wide. Snow fell from the white furred back, huge sloping shoulders instantly making us lose our grip and we tumbled down the back, yelling as we slide before we both plummeted towards the ground.

Quickly I opened my wings, gaining lift and held onto Laxus with both hands so that we descended more elegantly, softly landing on the ground as the beast behind us roared. Immediately I clamped my hands down over my ears, gritting my teeth as I looked at the twenty foot tall beast. "It's a northern Terra Beast!" I gasped, seeing the huge form turn around, punching a fist into the side of the mountain and caused a huge fall of snow from above. "Its natural instinct is to expand its territory which it does by covering everything in ice and snow, burying any other habitats so that it can…"

"Okay, okay I got it. Take it down before it buries Magnolia." Laxus answered, stepping forwards with a casual walk.

"Wait! This thing is highly dangerous, you can't just…" However without even listening to me Laxus charged up an attack, folding his arms across his chest.

"Lightning Dragon…ROAR!" The loud bellow penetrated the air, the sound of crackling energy surging around me as the attack struck the left shoulder of the beast however even though it made it drop forwards, it was quickly spinning around to reveal two rows of extremely sharp teeth, an oversized muzzle, three protruding horns out of its sloping skull and six angry red eyes. "You're a tough little sucker, ain't ya?"

"Laxus don't!" I called out though he continued to ignore me, going for another attack and the loud boom of lightning made the mountain tremble, snow starting to shift. "You idiot, do you want to bury us?!" I demanded, racing over to him with a flap of my wings, rising into the air as the Terra Beast took a huge bite of the snow covered ground, gulping it down before it blasted an ice breath attack straight at Laxus. "Look out!"

I grabbed him under the arms and gave a strong flap of my wings, lifting him up and we dodged the attack, hovering above the beast's head. "This thing has some decent moves." Laxus mused.

"You thick skulled moron! Quit it with all the lightning attacks or you're going to bring down the mountain without that beast's help!" I informed him angrily, tempted to just drop him as the beast growled, searching for us but when it caught sight of my hot flames above, it growled and started to climb up towards us. "You should probably leave this to me."

"Like hell I am!" Laxus answered back indignantly. Not caring anymore, I dropped him. He fell into a blanket of fresh snow, the storm beginning to swirl around us as the ice monster roared once again, causing part of the ice capped mountain to fall from above and crash into the mountain underneath. "This is not good." I grit my teeth, quickly avoiding another breath attack by flying a loop then banked hard to get around it. From what I'd read about this type of monster, there were very few ways to kill it as it was very sturdy. Underneath that fur was a hide so tough, I doubted even Erza could penetrate it without a couple of good blows.

There was, however, a weakness. If you were able to pierce the soft spot at the base of the throat, then it would certainly die. These beasts are listed as extremely dangerous and are blacklisted as they've been the cause of so many towns, villages and even cities in the frozen territories going missing under snow, people frozen to death in mere moments. If we get caught in just one of those breath attacks, it's game over. "Alright beastie, it is time to meet your demise." I murmured before taking a steep dive.

Magma swirled between my hands in a glowing orb before I dropped it onto the base of the monster's skull, making the fur sizzle and it howled in pain as I quickly flew out of the way, avoiding a huge claw in the process. Just as I came around again, Laxus suddenly appeared and struck it with his own body, slamming it to the ground in one hit. "Laxus!"

"No way am I going to sit back and watch you take all the glory." He informed me pointedly, shooting me a dark look.

"You don't know anything about this creature, you'll be eaten in seconds. Watch out!" I dove for him, slamming him out the way with all my strength just a mere breath before the tail swung out aiming to knock him out of the sky but hit me instead, making me grunt from the blow. We plummeted into the snow, skidding a long distance as my form dissolved, my concentration being broken as I momentarily blacked out but I quickly came back around as Laxus shook me.

"Hey, hey! Wake up!" He was yelling at me and I blinked. Laxus cursed before suddenly scooping me up in his arms and jumped backwards, avoiding another tail strike as my eyes finally flew wide open.

"Find cover!" I ordered, looking around desperately before I leaped out of his arms and dragged him towards a jut in the mountain where we could hide for a moment, the beast losing sight of us. As we hunkered down, I glared after it. "It may have six eyes but it's sense of smell isn't great, this'll buy us just a little time but not much."

"You should stay here, I'll distract you so you can get out of here." Laxus said but I just glowered hotly at him.

"Not a chance."

"But you were hit." I stopped for a moment before chuckling, cracking my knuckles

"It'll take more than a weak blow like that to take me down. Don't worry, I know exactly what to do. You see the base of its throat?" I asked, pointing carefully to the base of the creature's throat as it roared, bringing down more of the mountain as it started to gather all the snow it could. "There's a slight orb like shape there. If we pierce that, it'll die instantly and it's the weakest spot it has. If you can get its attention, I'll come up from underneath it."

"Why should I be the bait?" He objected so I rolled my eyes. We don't have pride for his masculine pride right now, the beast is getting closer and closer to us.

"Just do it Laxus, we'll have to work together on this one. When that thing has gathered enough snow, it'll cause an avalanche to bring it all down over Magnolia. There's been so much snow recently that there's a chance it'll reach even at this large of a distance. Besides that, the Terra Beast can expand snow storms. Just one breath is all it takes and then Magnolia will be a frozen ice statue. So just _do_ as I say!" With a flash of anger at him I got up, readying my chosen form as he grudgingly obeyed.

I waited until he'd flashed forward with a bright glow of golden yellow, calling the beast over to face him before throwing a few attacks to keep its attention. Now it's my chance. Opening my hand as armour encased me I felt the spear appear and I readily gripped onto it. This will be my best shot, I'd better take it and not miss.

Without warning one of Laxus's shots went wide, veering around to strike the beast in the side of the head, making stumble to the side but it hardly affected the beast, only made it even angrier than before. It chomped down on more snow, fuelling its attack as it stomped the ground and made an entire blanket of snow crash down towards Laxus who had to quickly throw himself out of the way.

The beast snarled, whipping around its long tail and smacked Laxus backwards and I cried out his name, rushing forwards as the light started to surround me, changing my form so that my regular wings appeared. They were faster than my armoured wings and I did not have time to call on anything else. My air form would freeze over and my Lightning Deity would only cause troubles and react against Laxus.

I dove forwards, eyes wide in horror as Laxus slowly sat up, rubbing his stomach where he'd been hit. "Laxus!" I cried out in warning, white wings blurring as I flung myself at him just as the beast roared. A blast of freezing ice struck us but I curled my wings around Laxus to shield him, gritting my teeth as my hands hovered above him, reaching outward but I felt the ice freeze me in place, turning me to solid ice and the shock made my mind go blank.

My ice form would have been able to withstand the blast for long enough to either absorb the ice or create a barrier, however time was not my ally today. I only just about managed to save Laxus from freezing to death. He uncurled, blinking before he stared up at my ice sculptured form. "No way…" He breathed before suddenly becoming angry, growling at the beast however before he could charge at it, my wings started to glow.

The beast became distracted, seeing its targets as nullified and left us alone as my wings grew brighter until suddenly the ice melted away, brilliant flames of white dancing across my feathers as my wings flapped, removing the ice and it shattered, allowing me to then break off the rest of the ice. I gasped when I was freed, the ice turning to fine shards as I collapsed, sucking in a deep breath but Laxus instantly had his hands at my arms to steady me, allowing me to drop to the ground to rest for a moment. "You…you shielded me…"

"Of course I did you moron." I snapped at him, still struggling for breath. "You were about to get turned into an ice statue. What on earth was that last shot?"

"I was trying to get it to lift its head to give you a clearer target!"

"Well that worked splendidly didn't it?!" I returned his tone, voice raising as I glared at him. "You went charging in and didn't even think about what it was you were going to do, did you? Didn't I also say that too many blasts will bring the mountain down anyway? You thick skulled brute!"

"At least I'm actively trying to do something about that thing, you're just getting in my way!"

"Am not! _You're_ the one in _my_ way!"

"I'd have had that thing dead and buried by now but you're just slowing me down, just sit out and let me handle this!"

"Not a chance in the entire world, you'll just end up zapping yourself with your own lightning then cause an avalanche that will bring about the next ice age!" We stopped, seething at one another with dark glares before finally he looked away, tusking his tongue in irritation so I also turned my head sharply, refusing to look at him again. Right, we should really take care of that monster. "Stay here, I'm going after it."

"What? Like hell!" Laxus answered back, hurriedly jumping to his feet but I was already off, flying after the beast. I exchanged forms, hand reaching out for my spear as it appeared then grasped it, quickly whirling it around then used the sharpened blade edge to slice through the monster's cheek, searing off the hairs and it roared after me, leaping forwards and starting to give chase in huge leaps and bounds. I weaved my way through the mountain terrain, wings spread wide before I suddenly turned, the blade of my spear glowing as I charged an attack.

At the last moment I dove under, releasing the charged beam with a yell and the monster squealed in pain, the blast throwing it onto its back and the crash took out a mountain peak, the rock tumbling into an abyss below. I sighed irately, the tail had curled under and protected the weak spot. This isn't going to be easy.

Before I could move, however, the tail had whipped out and snagged my wing, making me cry out as my spear fell from my grasp and it tumbled from the skies, burying itself into the snow as I hurriedly corrected my flight pattern, wheeling around but without me even noticing, the beast lunged for me and punched with a huge fist, knocking me directly out of the sky. I almost cursed, however before I could strike snow familiar arms wrapped themselves around my middle as my wings melted away into specks of light. "This is _not_ going to plan." I grumbled as Laxus hovered with me, my arms instinctively gripping onto him. "Here it comes!"

The beast roared and struck the mountain above us with its tail, sending huge chunks of snow down towards us but Laxus blurred away. I was tingling all over as he held me, the lightning sparks dancing over my skin as he got us far enough away that we were out of range of both the tail and the breath attack. "Maybe a plan is necessary." Laxus finally agreed so I shot him a look.

"Obviously." With a sigh I wracked my brain. "There is only one way to do this. You can't use your attacks as they are too noisy, they'll cause an avalanche and destroy everything down below. My spear is over there and I'm too cold to function properly, I can't sustain my magic for very long." Laxus sent me a funny look.

"The cold affects your magic?"

"For your information, I am wearing a dress and heels in sub-zero temperatures and I dislike being cold, so yes it is affecting my magic!" I snapped back at him, placing my hands on my hips. "However, I have an idea. I can use my chains to lock him down and keep that tail away. You go for my spear and drive it through the weak spot then we can go home. Simple enough?" I drawled at him but he only answered with a glare. "Very well, to work then."

I jumped down off our mountain, spreading my wings and soared back towards the beast. Keeping my eyes narrowed against the biting cold and snow. Turning on my side I flit past the monster's face, forcing its attention to me as I then dropped into the snow, legs spread wide and one hand dragging through the fine powder to stop. "Chains of Binding!" I called out then pressed both hands into the ground, a magic circle appearing under my feet and huge chains erupted from the snow, rising up and wrapped themselves around the monster, making it roar.

Keeping it still and pinning down the tail, I turned towards Laxus. "Now!" He'd already reached my spear and with a flash he disappeared like a flash of light before reappearing underneath the monster, giving a yell as he drove the spear upwards. The monster bellowed, writhing and fighting against the chains before jerking its head to the side and the blow glanced off, making Laxus lose grip on the weapon so he snarled, balling a fist which crackled with thunder. "Don't do it!" I begged, however before I could do anything to stop him, Laxus punched through the orb at the base of the throat, causing the beast to bellow in anger and agony before it started to collapse.

Laxus quickly grabbed my spear and got out of there as I withdrew my chains, standing upright as I shivered. Please say we can return now. "Yours." Laxus handed over the spear so I snatched it from him, glaring as I then held it out and allowed it to disappear. Without hesitance, I punched him in the chest.

"You idiot! Did I not say do not use a loud attack?!" I demanded however just as I did so, an echoing thunder rolled off the mountains, responding to Laxus's finishing blow and I tensed, pressing my eyes shut before daring to open them. A huge wave of snow came thundering towards us, pure white and deadly whilst moving faster than I could react. "Move!" I pushed Laxus behind me and spun around, lifting my arms to block the avalanche with a force field, the resulting impact making me feel the intense boom as snow swirled around us, burying us deep as I then lifted out my other hand, feeling my Ice Queen image starting to rise. "Ultimate Freezing!"

A blast of pale blue light shot out from around me and melted into the snow outside, rippling several times as the snow slowly began to stop, freezing seemingly in time as my ice magic affected the very terrain we stood upon. It was a very special move that I had developed myself, being able to release a blast so cold upon my intended targets or terrain which allowed me to momentarily freeze or slow them in time, though outside of the effect time moved normally.

"What did you do?"

"Stopped an entire avalanche that you caused, you blockhead." I answered, spinning around as my image disappeared with a flash. "Do you not ever listen? I was trying to warn you but you seemed adamant of doing your own reckless thing!"

"That's how it works for me, usually I don't have such nagging brats around to contend with!" Laxus responded hotly, sparks jumping off him with a threatening crackle but I was unfazed, meeting his glare measure for measure.

"Excuse me but I am actually your senior, you should show more respect!" I retorted, folding my arms to show my displeasure.

"Senior or not, you're still a brat in my view." His rumbling tone responded, making sparks flare in my stomach out of hurt pride and fury.

"It's a wonder anyone ever has the patience to deal with you, such rudeness!" His eyes narrowed dangerously but I held them firm, unwavering in my resolve as I stepped closer to him, trying to get him to submit. I am _not_ going to allow him to intimidate me in any way shape or form. "Perhaps people are wrong about you, Laxus. You haven't changed a bit! You're still proud and arrogant, thinking firstly of yourself."

"I don't care what others think. Besides, who was it who carried your drunk ass back after getting yourself attacked by thugs?" He questioned and I couldn't help but blush slightly, remembering that night.

"I could have handled things perfectly well." I answered, voice lowering slightly so that we were not shouting at one another whilst still contained within the force field sphere that I'd managed to raise around us before the snow had hit. It allowed very limited space but the intensity was just growing and growing. Laxus snorted in disagreement. "It is true! I was merely momentarily stunned. Besides, I thought we agreed never to speak of what happened that night."

"You're the one who said you wanted to forget." He reminded me. "Worried that you did something you might regret?" His face inched closer.

"Not at all, I pride myself on being always the rational person." Haughtily I lifted my chin, eyes of blazing amber meeting steely grey, clashing hot against cold and the effect caused the heat to rise between us immensely. "I do not care what I did."

"Are you sure? Because I don't think you can handle the truth." A slight sneer painted his lips, making me growl darkly.

"Of course I could!"

"Doubtful."

"Go on then, tell me the truth!" I demanded, lifting a hand and pushing it against his chest in a quick strike to expel some of my anger towards him, though I was a little shocked at myself afterwards. Why was I losing my usually calm attitude around him? It's like he sent bolts of electricity up along every single nerve on my body and it had me on edge. "What did I do?!"

"This!" Suddenly his hands gripped my face and forced it to tilt backwards, his lips crashing against mine with bruising force and I instantly gasped, my entire body freezing in place as heat flared up inside me and my skin tingled underneath his touch. His kiss was rough and demanding, leaving no room for protest as he claimed my mouth and refused to let go, my eyes remained wide and alarmed as Laxus tightened his grip on me almost to the point where it hurt. Almost.

Admittedly, the kiss was wild and thrilling, causing excitement to rush through me as slowly we tipped backwards before we crashed into the snow, Laxus's mouth still sealed to mine however as one hand left my face to run through my hair which had come loose from its plaited style, he became softer and tenderer. The kiss relaxed and I felt my body go into a trance, mind falling away from reason as thoughts failed to compute and a euphoric sense of desire began to touch at my chest. He kissed my lower lip, capturing it gently before slowly pulling back, opening his eyes to look down at me. "You did that quite a lot."

All at once, my face turned redder than a tomato, as if I had stood under the sun for an entire day without sunscreen. I could feel the steam rising off my skin, snow practically melting around me as my hands jumped to my lips where they started to swell. Laxus arched an eyebrow at me, an amused and rather smug expression settling on his features. "Don't tell me you feel shy now, you were more than comfortable taking off your clothes that night. I had to wrestle you to try and stop you."

"Wrestle…clothes…you…me…kiss…" I trailed off, unable to put the pieces together as my mind was still in shut down.

"I'd taken you up to my room and intended to leave you there, but you _begged_ me to stay. Even tried to seduce me." I gasped, lifting my hands higher to cover my eyes so I didn't have to look at him, shaking my head rigorously. "You started taking your clothes off but when I tried to stop you, you started taking things a step further. You're a rather violent kisser when drunk, you know." No I don't know and I don't particularly want to! Oh how shameful, I'll never be able to look Laxus in the eye again! "Any way, we wrestled, you managed to get my shirt off and then you hit me with a sleeping spell then must have passed out. I don't remember anything after that except finding you gone in the morning."

"Oh dear…oh no…this is terrible…just awful…I am so sorry please forgive me…" I mumbled behind my hand however when Laxus tried to lift them away, I panicked and quickly shook my head, squeaking fearfully. He exhaled heavily before shifting his weight so that he was holding his own weight but still sitting above me, using both hands to drag mine away so I pressed my eyes shut, protesting as he held my hands down either side of my face.

"Hey, look me in the eye." He ordered but I refused until he leaned a little closer. "Not afraid of me, are you?"

"Not likely!" My eyes snapped open to glare at him, expecting taunting features however I stopped, staring at him blankly as soft eyes looked down at me, a tiny smile touching his lips as he hovered directly above me.

"I'm the one who should apologise. I let myself get seduced by a drunk woman. I promise, nothing else happened other than what I said." He assured me and I blinked at him, hardly hearing him but when his words finally registered, I tilted my head at him.

"I never doubted that, Laxus. When I said I knew you weren't that kind of guy I meant it. I don't question your integrity." He relaxed a little, shoulders slumping and his fingers loosened from around my wrists. A small smile flickered on my lips before I groaned, wholly embarrassed. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Who'd I tell? I'm not the touchy feely type." Laxus answered as he sat up and dropped to the ground next to me. "So, are we getting out of here or are we stuck?"

"No, no, we're alright. Let me just gather my wits about me." I answered, sitting up also and brushed my dress off. The snow had made it all wet. Just perfect. "Well, the only thing keeping the snow at bay is the barrier, so I'll just expand it until we have an opening, though I don't know how much snow there is above us so we may have to just force our way through with physical strength." I reasoned, mostly to myself but Laxus listened all the same.

"I'll let you call the shots on this one." I flashed him a smile, still feeling a little giddy like a young girl who'd got her first crush. For a first kiss, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I thought I'd ruin it by being clumsy and inexperienced but Laxus hadn't even allowed me time or space to respond. I'll just never speak of this again, perhaps it'll all pass over. Laxus is just getting back at me, it's not to say it means anything.

"Right. I think what I'll do is make an opening. Stand back." Laxus shifted behind me as I held out a hand, lava swirling into an orb as my forearm became glad in a dark red gauntlet streaked with gold like flames. "Here we go." Releasing the attack I dropped the shield for a mere moment, timing everything to perfection so that the blast shot straight through but then the barrier returned once it had passed, keeping us protected as an opening was made. "Excellent. Follow me."

We walked out of the huge tunnel I had created, a bright light greeting us on the other side and I blinked against it before my eyes adjusted. "I think we should return to the wedding. It's getting dark and someone would have noticed that we were gone by now."

"Yeah. They might start coming up with rumours about the two of us." Laxus smirked and I was startled by the thought, however before I could confront him he blasted off into the sky.

"Wait…get back here you jerk!"


	37. Chapter 37

Needless to say, the wedding was a huge success and everyone celebrated for almost a week, even after Elfman and Evergreen had left to go on their honeymoon to an island resort, everyone none the wiser to the fact that Laxus and I had stopped a giant Terra Beast from freezing the entire city. Of course we both kept quiet about it and after that event, neither of us could meet the other's gaze, constantly avoiding one another.

After Christmas, which I spent with Lucy and the gang, everyone bunking at Lucy's apartment for old times sake, the new year came and went far too quickly with even more celebrations. The winter season was the coldest it had been in a hundred years and some experts suspected it was due to the mass amount of magical energy that has been amassing around the continent, courtesy of us mages getting a little out of hand in years previous.

It would take a little time but the weather would settle down again soon. Anyway, I rather liked the snow, it was pleasant and peaceful to observe and I enjoyed the snugness of my winter clothes. Thick winter boots, jeans and a long sleeved shirt with a smart fur trimmed coat with a belt buckled around the waist. Levy had helped me find it when we'd gone Christmas shopping together. I pulled up the hood, smiling as the fur instantly tickled against my cheek and continued to walk forwards, hands tucked deep into my pockets.

My old red scarf which was now so worn and old, was wrapped around my neck. I'd used a restore spell on it a couple of times, however it was at the perfect state where it was softened by years of use and was comfortable to wear. I no longer needed it all the time for the sake of hiding behind it, however it was nice to wear it in this winter weather. It brought back so many fond memories.

Exhaling a breath a puff of white blew into a soft cloud before it disappeared, making me smile again. It was so quiet out here in the streets and compared to previous excitement of festivities, it was a rather stark contrast. All the same, I enjoyed having the street all to myself, trekking fresh footprints into the new layer of snow, listening to the crunch of my boots in the six inch deep powder. Turning a corner I lifted my head and down the street I saw Levy walking towards me at the other end. She stopped when she saw me, instantly smiling and giving a wave so I lifted my hand in return and made my way towards her. "I was just on my way to see you." Levy admitted, rosy cheeked as we met in the middle. "Gajeel is driving me crazy, he's ordered me out the house so that he can work on some project in secret but he won't tell me anything about it." She pouted so I gave a soft laugh, pulling her close to wrap an arm around her.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. Are you warm enough? The temperature keeps on dropping and I do not want you to get ill, together with morning sickness you'll feel extremely rough." Levy shuddered, going a little green in the face at the mere thought.

"Ugh…I hate being pregnant. I swear I'll never have another kid." She promised herself with a grumble but I only smiled at her.

"If you say so." I gave her a wink before suddenly lifting her up, making her squeak as I grabbed her legs and hoisted her easily onto my back. "Now hold on tight!"

"Woo-hoo!" Levy cheered as I sprang forwards, her legs instinctively wrapping themselves around me as I took off at speed, a small grin touching my face as I kicked off the ground and swung off a lamp post, flying upwards before I landed on a roof, Levy holding onto me tightly as I continued to run. We surfed down a roof, leaving a long track line behind us as I kicked off and landed mid pace, not breaking my speed to continue running as Levy gave another exhilarated cheer. "This is so cool!"

"You haven't seen anything yet." I laughed, heading straight for the ocean, springing off of buildings, leaping high into the air and jumping over any obstacles in our path, clearing them with mountains of room before we came to the ocean. The sea had completely frozen over, so I snapped my fingers and my boots transformed into ice skates via magic, making me grin as I set off skating.

"YEAH!" Levy screeched happily as she let go with her arms to throw them up into the air, our hair flying in the wind as I gained speed, racing over the ice before starting to loop, spinning on the axel and doing all kinds of manoeuvres with Levy on my back, though I kept it relatively safe so that no accident would occur but I knew she had absolute faith in me. "This is just what I needed to clear my head. "You're the best, Fae."

"I know." I agreed as I skidded to a halt, turning back with a breathless smile. "It's nice to clear one's head every now and then. Ready for another round?" Levy instantly placed her hands on my shoulders, hunching herself low with a determined grin.

"You bet!" I gave a laugh then took off, skating over the frozen waves, using them like ramps as they had been epically frozen in motion, creating a perfect arena for Levy and I to play the day away before we went to a café for hot drinks and something warm to eat. The café had a log fire so we instantly went to the hearth to warm ourselves, Levy choosing to have a little rant about Gajeel but even as she called him the biggest dummy under the sun I knew that she was absolutely in love with him. There's just no question. Though I agree, he can be a little nails for brains at times.

"Are you certain you do not want me to simply beat some sense into him?" I offered as I sipped my cup of tea delicately, one leg crossed over the other. "I am more than willing to make sure he gets the message." Levy giggled, probably imagining me whipping Gajeel into shape. Quite literally.

"No, I think you'd break him Fae." She answered, still giggling as she took a huge bite out of her egg tart. All of a sudden Levy has been eaten egg tarts by the dozen, she can't seem to get enough of them so I assumed it was her craving for the pregnancy. "But thanks anyway. Next time he leaves the chores undone, I'll make sure he's banished from the house until he learns his lesson." She had that evil glint in her eye and I smiled, knowing full well she meant it. Reaching for her third egg tart Levy gave a sigh, leaning back and rubbed her stomach which was only growing bigger and bigger seemingly by the day. "I wonder what it'll be…"

"Well, I am fairly certain that you are limited to two choices, unless it decides to surprise us and be born a dragon…then at least you have a fifty fifty chance of being correct." I said to her diplomatically, putting down my cup of tea and reached for my apple turnover. "What would you like it to be?"

" _I'd_ like it to be a girl, I think a girl would just be the cutest thing but Gajeel is already convinced that it's going to be a boy." Levy rolled her eyes. "Though if she is a girl, I hope she doesn't get Gajeel's looks…the poor thing." I chuckled slightly.

"Not exactly feminine, is he?" I agreed.

"He's handsome in his own way. Admittedly I think he's just so badass and sexy that there's no one that could compare." Levy said and I almost choked on my pastry as I laughed, never having heard Levy say such a thing before. "It's only the truth!"

"Yes but to put it such a blunt way, I wasn't prepared!" I continued to laugh lightly, drinking some water to clear my throat before recovering myself. "So you hope for a girl with your adorable looks, any thoughts on names?" Of course Levy had ideas for names. She had boy names, girl names, unisex names, historic names, cultural names, famous names, popular names, unpopular names…she had so many names that I struggled to see how she would pick just the one.

"There are just so many! Fae you have to help me!" Levy wailed in frustration so I pondered a moment.

"Well, to me it would make sense to properly meet your child first before you named them." I shrugged finally and Levy blinked at me in surprise. "After all, I think once you hold your baby in your arms you'll know exactly who they are and then the perfect name will come to you. It's a very important aspect of the child's life, they're going to have that name now and always so you have to get it just right so that it suits them."

"You're right." Levy relaxed in her seat, smiling at me. "I think that's good logic. Thanks for putting up with me Fae."

"I'm always here." Giving her a loving smile we finished our drinks and food but then sat for a while by the fire, talking about books before I noticed that it was starting to get dark. "I'll walk you home Levy, Gajeel will probably worry about you if you're out and about after dark." I reasoned and Levy nodded, standing and got her coat. We paid our bill then I looped Levy's arm around mine, letting her lean against me as I walked her back to the house that we had used to share together. The one that Loke had given to us.

It was exactly the same as when we'd first moved in, except now it smelled predominantly of Levy, Gajeel and Pantherlily, though there was a faint trace of my own scent left behind. There was also a very strong smell of old books, however I rather liked that papery smell. Levy insisted I come inside to stay out of the snow as it was starting to fall a little more heavily and I gladly accepted. When she opened the door, Gajeel was instantly in front of her.

"There ya are shrimp, let me show ya something!" He grinned and gave his signature chuckle, grabbing Levy by the wrist and dragged her upstairs.

"Gajeel slow down! Dummy!" She wailed, making me blink before I pushed the door closed, Lily padding out to greet me.

"It's good to see you." He greeted in his deep and mellow voice, making me smile down at him warmly.

"Hello Lily, it's good to see you too. What does Gajeel have upstairs? Levy mentioned that he'd been working on something all day and had not allowed her to see what it was." I said to him and Lily only responded with a knowing smirk, walking over towards the stairs and started to hop up.

"Come take a look." He invited so I followed after him into the main bedroom, pushing open the door to find Levy standing with her back to me, staring in awe at the creating that Gajeel was proudly standing beside, arms folded with a smug smirk on his face. I stepped inside to find a beautiful old fashioned wooden crib, however above it hung a baby mobile with flawless metal designs.

The centrepiece, which was larger than all the rest, was the Fairy Tail crest and it turned slowly on the fine string that it was situated on. Around it were several metal objects, including dragons, books, quills and even three tiny exceeds. "Gajeel…it's beautiful…" Levy whispered before bursting into tears, throwing herself into his chest where he gently patted her on the head.

"Quit ya crying, shrimp, it's nothing to get all worked up over." He said but held her close anyway, his features relaxing into an adorning expression as I stood silently next to Lily. I felt like I was intruding and so I made to leave, however Levy turned and called out to me.

"Fae! Look at this, isn't it pretty?"

"It's amazing. Did you create these yourself Gajeel?" I questioned, moving forwards and touching the metal pieces as Gajeel gave a firm nod of his head.

"You bet I did." He answered, jerking a thumb at his chest as one arm lazily rested around Levy's back, holding her as she leaned against him, dreamily smiling at the baby mobile as each image turned slowly and hypnotically. "So what's for dinner?" Instantly she swatted his chest, shooting him a look.

"You can feed yourself!" Before they could start arguing I offered to make something and Lily offered his service as well, so together we put together a meal and sat down to eat together, reminiscing about our best times together, recalling embarrassing moments which had Gajeel blushing pretty quickly and Levy instantly called him out on it as I chuckled, Lily grinning as he sucked on a kiwi.

I stayed until it was late in the evening and the snowstorm continued to whirl, so Levy brought me down warm blankets and pillows so that I could sleep on the sofa. Lily had his own bed upstairs in the attic, however he kept me company once Levy and Gajeel had gone to bed, intending to rest a while by the fire but I picked him up with a single hand around his waist. "Wha-hey!" He wriggled slightly but I only chuckled, tucking him in under the blankets next to me and snuggled into him, closing my eyes to sleep.

"Goodnight Lily." After a while Lily signed, resigning himself to his fate as I was not going to let him go. He was cute and fluffy when he was small and I snuggled my cheek against his.

"Goodnight Fae." He answered finally and I smiled further before allowing the gentle glow of embers to soothe me into sleep, Lily soon purring next to me in sleep and I vaguely remember thinking that it was one of the cutest things I'd ever heard, but then my eyes became enshrouded in black and I fell into pleasant dreams.


	38. Chapter 38

The winter melted away and brought spring to our city, sunlight causing flowers to bloom even as pockets of snow remained, clinging to winter's chill and pale icicles shone as the light caught their crystalline figures. It wasn't warm enough for summer clothes yet, so I remained in my winter wardrobe but it was nice to see crisp blue skies and not the endless white that had held its grip for several months.

Today was my day off from working at the guild so I was busy cleaning my flat, making sure everything was pristine and spotless as I could not abide mess. I'd already visited Natsu at his home where he and Happy had always somehow seemed to make the hugest catastrophe of a mess in between my visits whereby I'd work hard to clean things up for them. I was close to simply giving up on them ever organising themselves at home.

There was already another wedding planned for later spring, Juvia wanting to move things forward with Gray as soon as possible but he didn't seem in too much of a rush. He was very reserved with his feelings, however one time I had accidentally stumbled across them behind the guild supposedly alone and Gray had been much more open with Juvia then, kissing her rather heatedly against the wall until she'd flushed bright red and almost fainted. I'd left quite quickly, not wanting to disturb them but it made me realise that Gray was a private person, keeping his emotions to himself and only let them show when he was with the person he wanted to be with.

I was so happy for them that I greatly anticipated the wedding. Gray would have liked to have simply stayed engaged for a couple more years but Juvia was not so impatient. It took Lucy and I a lot of convincing her not to simply have a wedding put together in a week and that she should wait at least until after the new year to have her wedding so that things did not become so overwhelming. Lucy then pointed out that in spring, the rainbow blossom tree would be in bloom and to have a wedding under the tree would be the most romantic thing in the world. Juvia instantly agreed and she started planning for that date instead.

Sighing softly I stood up and wiped my brow, looking at my newly polished floors with satisfaction. I rather enjoyed cleaning, it gave me a sense of pride in my home. Just the polishing and dusting to do and then I'm done. Brushing out my little pinafore I made sure that there wasn't any dust stains before reaching up to adjust the headscarf I had wrapped around my hair to keep it back from my face, the rest flowing freely down my back. Just as I was about to start on my next chore I heard a heavy knock at my door which instantly made me stop and look towards the sound. Strange, I wasn't expecting any visitors today. Maybe it's Lucy, I had promised to help her search for Aquarius's key, perhaps she is here to start planning a manual search.

Going over to the door I pulled it open but instead of a curvaceous blonde, I found a thick muscled one instead. "Laxus!" I started, my voice choking slightly as I instantly flushed and averted my eyes, pulse quickening as his electrifying scent filled my nose. He was leaning against my doorframe with one arm, looking down at me with uncharacteristically soft eyes.

"Hey." He greeted so I jumped to stand a little taller, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

"H-Hi…" I silently cursed myself for getting flustered. This was not like me at all! You must get a grip on yourself. Laxus lifted his eyes and glanced inside, noticing my shiny floors and how everything was either freshly washed, waxed or polished.

"Looks good. You gonna let me in or do I have to stay standing out here?" He asked and I gulped slightly before opening the door, once more dropping my gaze as I let him step inside. His presence immediately filled the entirety of my flat which was small to begin with but now it seemed to shrink the further he stepped inside.

"Um…can I get you anything?" I offered but Laxus shook his head, dropping his coat on a chair then dropped onto the sofa, making himself at home and placed his hands behind his head.

"I'm good. How long you been cleaning?" I frowned slightly as I closed the door, thinking it an odd question. I do not think Laxus _usually_ asks people about their cleaning habits so I began to grow suspicious. What was he doing here in the first place? If he's going to tease me about what happened on that mountain then he'll find himself flying through my wall. I can magically restore it anyway, so there's no reason why I couldn't.

"Since this morning." I replied, standing on the opposite side of the coffee table so at least there was something between us. Call it a precaution. "Was there something you needed, Laxus, or are you here just to make things even more uncomfortable than it already is between us?" I deadpanned, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at him sternly.

Without a word Laxus lifted a hand and patted the sofa, indicating that I should sit down in the space next to him. I glared, a very slight pout appearing as I elected to be obstinate however Laxus looked at me, a slight smirk touching his lips in challenge. Haughtily I lifted myself higher then stalked over to him, spinning around so that my hair swished elegantly and I gracefully took my seat. I remained as stiff as a board, refusing to even look at him.

Suddenly his hand curled around my head and quickly yanked me down so that his head was resting against his lap, making me squeak indignantly and start to struggle but he easily held me pinned in place. "Just relax a little, try letting go for a little bit." Laxus instructed me and I went still, frowning slightly as I lay curled up into a tight ball with my head resting against his leg.

I was burning bright red and my heart gave sharp thuds in my chest, tummy tightening as I felt my entire body tense against him. Laxus remained relaxed and calm so I listened for his heartbeat. It was faint, barely louder than the flutter of a butterfly's wings, however the steady rhythm started to creep into my breathing pattern and I found myself slowly sinking into him, relaxing minutely though I remained curled up. This still made no sense.

"Laxus…"

"Don't talk." He ordered rather firmly so I clamped my mouth shut, blushing hotly again. Pursing my lips I decided that since I was trapped here, I might as well rest a little while. Closing my eyes I became more focused on Laxus. His heartbeat, his slow breathing, the way sparks seemingly travelled down my spine and the flushed feeling of my cheeks, neck and chest with him being so close.

Soon I found myself being lulled, only now realising just how tired I was. I had been cleaning since before dawn, but I was always an early riser. Giving a long exhale my body finally let go of all its tension and my breathing deepened, falling asleep against Laxus as he started to fiddle with my hair, curiously running it through his fingers to feel its silkiness.

I did not remember falling asleep, however when I awoke it was dark and Laxus was still there and I was still sleeping on him. The only difference was I had a blanket wrapped around me and I'd even snuggled up closer to him for his warmth. Slowly I roused myself from sleep, giving a little moan as I shifted my position. "Told you that you need to relax a little." Laxus suddenly spoke and instantly I was sitting bolt upright, gripping the blanket close to me like a barrier as I stared at him.

"What was all that about?!" I demanded to know, shrinking back away from him however with my legs tangled in the blankets I lost my balance and fell off the sofa, landing heavily on the ground and I grunted, glad that the blanket cushioned my fall for the most part as Laxus just looked at me.

"I was bored." Such a boorish statement hardly clears matters up! Honestly, I feel as if men in general are just idiots. My eyes narrowed dangerously, flashing with anger but Laxus remained perfectly relaxed, lounging on my sofa without a care in the world.

"But why are you _here_?" I pursued, not allowing him to get away with such a bland answer. For a moment or so he did not answer before finally he turned his head, a dark gleam in his eyes though his smirk made him look all the more dangerous, as if he were looking at his next victim in a battle. A spark crackled off his hair and jumped onto me, making me jerk slightly but the sharp sting did not bother me nearly as much as how close Laxus suddenly became.

He loomed over me, planting a hand down on the ground and trapped me underneath him though he still lay on the sofa, leaning down so that his spicy breath fanned across my face and neck. "Because I've decided I'm going to make you fall for me, so get ready. I won't lose." My eyes widened, staring up at him in winsome shock at his words. His smirk deepened, displaying slightly sharper canines and his predatory eyes slowly began to roam over my body, making me blush further and my hands instinctively curled over me to hide.

"Don't…don't stare at me that way, it is discourteous." I stuttered, losing my nerve as Laxus lifted his hand began to trail his finger along my jaw, a small spark connecting with my skin but surprisingly the sensation only made me gasp but not from pain. His already smug expression deepened. Abruptly he lifted me onto his lap, pulling my legs so that there was no space between us, canines bared challengingly as my hands immediately went to press against his shoulders.

"Gotta say, that little apron is cute." He started and I choked when I tried to respond, completely caught off guard as he tugged at the bow at the back. "You look like a little maid. Call me master, I dare you." This was…this was so unlike Laxus that I could scarce believe I was awake. Perhaps I am still asleep and merely dreaming, though this is a horrible dream and I wish to wake up. "Go on, say it. Say 'master'." He crooned, lips brushing against my neck as his fingers gripped on a little tighter to my legs. At the sudden leap in tension, I blurted it out before I could even stop myself.

"Master!" My voice was weak and airy, making me shudder hatefully at myself as Laxus smirked in satisfaction. I could not even control my body's reactions anymore, my fingers instinctually gripped tightly onto him as his fingers brushed against my lips, face and neck.

"Good. Now say…" He trailed off in thought and I immediately knew that this was dangerous territory we were entering.

"Wait…Laxus…" But I couldn't seem to make my voice work and even as I tried to move off him I only managed pathetic little pawing motion on his chest. It were as if he'd drained all my energy from me with a snap of his fingers. It was hopeless.

"I got it, say 'please forgive me master'." I have no idea whether or not this was something that Laxus was into or he was just getting drunk on dominance, but even as I tried to protest, Laxus pulled me closer towards him so that my stomach was flush against his and sparks jumped around us as my pulse shot through the roof. "I can't hear you." Growling with an authoritarian tone, my lips started moving of their own accord as my voice wavered and whispered.

"P-Please…forgive me, m-master…" Instantly I winced, loathing how pathetic I sounded.

"Louder." He ordered and immediately I obeyed.

"Please forgive me, master." My eyes drooped slightly and I breathed quickly though lightly, hardly able to get the air into my crushing lungs as Laxus leaned back, his hands now resting on my hips.

"Better. Now maidservant, what should I have you do for me?" He questioned tauntingly and immediately my eyes flashed in a fearful panic, expecting the worst however his sharp eyes caught my expression even as I rapidly hid it and his entire façade softened and faded away, a hand raising to take my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Don't worry, I'm not into the punishment thing. I'm more of a positive reinforcement kind of guy."

"I find that difficult to believe." I answered, finally finding my voice so with all my might, I pushed myself off him, my entire body flushing red as I hastily looked away from him. "I think it time you left. It is late and if rumours start to spread then I'll never become a bride." It was an old fashioned saying however I felt it prudent for this situation. Of course, my behaviour hadn't exactly been virtuous, I must become more vigilant!

"Like that kind of stuff matters anymore." Laxus shrugged but got up, his frame instantly towering above me and I shrank back towards the door, pulling it open a little too roughly and waited beside it, giving him the deadliest of glares as he collected his coat and dropped it over his shoulders, not bothering to put it on properly. "I'll see you around." He said, heading out the door however as I closed it on him, his hand suddenly appeared between the gap and forced it back open.

"Laxus what are you-?" My words were cut off rather forcefully as he swooped down and claimed my lips, the rush of the door swinging wide open causing my hair and his jacket to flair as his hands framed my neck and face, holding me without applying pressure and I stood there helplessly, staring into space as Laxus pressed his lips to mine in a very simple yet dominating kiss before all at once he pulled away, smirking.

"Real soon." He finished, smirk spreading into a one sided grin as he reached out and gripped the door handle, pulling the door closed behind him so that I stood there staring at it, still frozen in place. Had that…just happened?


	39. Chapter 39

Once I had eventually awoken from my daze, I very quickly became angry. I ploughed through the rest of my cleaning in half an hour before I started to pace my flat, still livid. How dare he come into my home and act so? It was vulgar and downright rude! That uncouth brute, I'll show him. I'll make these table turns on him and see how he likes to be treated such. Of course, this meant I had to wait for the perfect opportunity, however as I laid out my plan, I went to sleep happily knowing I only had to wait until the next day.

When the next day came, I smugly got ready for my day, taking a little extra time to brush through my hair and make sure it was silky smooth, looking at my reflection in the mirror before leaving so that I knew I looked presentable before I headed over to the guild. I'd waited until the afternoon, knowing that more people would be there and hopefully, Laxus too. Let us see how he likes to be made a fool of, only this time I shall do it in front of the entire guild so that _he_ can know exactly how dangerous a game he is playing. I may have been caught off guard once or twice but now that I know his play, I refuse to repeat the same mistake a third time.

The walk over to the guild went surprisingly quickly today, however I was walking at such a determined pace that it took me half the time it usually did. Also, as I walked people quickly scattered out of my way so I assumed that they either noticed my furious expression or they saw a rather ominous woman striding with deadly purpose and decided not to get in my way. Both would be correct. I was still furious both at Laxus and myself, however presently I simply placed all that anger solely on his shoulders.

As I approached the guild I threw out a hand and a strong gust of wind flung open both doors, allowing me to walk straight inside and immediately a hush fell over the guild as they saw me enter, hair bristling on the wind as the cold air rushed inside and extinguished all lights. Most began to shiver, shrinking back away from me as the dark cloud that surrounded me like an aura made them realise that something was seriously wrong and they chose not to interrupt me.

Like a breeze I moved forwards, my pace quick but unhurried, effortlessly gliding towards Laxus who sat with the Thunder Legion and the master, however as he realised I was aiming straight for him he stood up to meet me, fists clenched ready to battle. His face was like stone, ready to react to whatever I had to throw at him however as I stepped within range, I let go of my clenched fists and reached out for him.

My eyes flashed a dangerous shade of red as I clenched my fingers into his shirt and without hesitation, I yanked him forcefully down to my height to press my mouth against his. Immediately there was a collective gasp that rippled throughout the guild which was then followed by a tense silence. Laxus's entire body stance changed, freezing in shock as his wide eyed stare remained locked in the distance as I stood relaxed and perfectly at ease, not moving my lips but not letting him go either.

I tasted revenge in the literal sense and it was glorious, I could not help but feel smug as I then quickly pulled back, eyes burning as my pride shone through my features. "Revenge." I stated simply, Laxus staring at me as he then flushed bright red and clamped a hand over his mouth but I'd already spun around, my long hair rising to brush against his face in my elegant spin and without even making eye contact with anyone, save a wink over in Levy and Lucy's direction, I exited the guild and with a casual snap of my fingers, the doors closed behind me.

The moment I was out of sight, I bolted, racing for an alleyway and quickly hid myself there as I suddenly hyperventilated. I cannot believe I went through with it, I actually did it. Was it effective? Did the desired message get across? I hope so, because there is no way I am doing that again. Waiting until I caught my breath, I knew there was only one place that I could go.

Turning tail I fled, running through the city with my hood pulled up to hide my face and I did not stop running until I'd reached the cliffs where an old stone memorial stood, small patches of snow still lying on the ground with blades of grass poking through, other patches holding small flowers which were beginning to return to life. "Hello mother." I whispered, reaching out and running my hand over the stone. "It has been a long while, forgive me for not coming to see you as often as I used to but there has been so much to do."

As the quiet lull of the waves sounded below, I started to list off everything that had happened since my last visit. "Elfman and Evergreen got married and are still on honeymoon, they're not coming back for a few weeks yet though everyone is excited for their return, I know Mirajane and Lisanna are missing their brother but they're content that he's happy." Kneeling down, I lowered my hood so that my hair could float on the breeze and my cheek could be cooled by its tender brush. "Juvia and Gray are together now and he even proposed, so they're getting married soon as well. Since our last battle against the Alvarez Empire, everyone has started to realise just how precious our time together is. Gray and Juvia almost died, you know, but thankfully they were both saved and now they've finally come to agree on their feelings for one another."

I gave a little sigh, clenching my fingers into fists in my lap as I knelt before her stone tablet. I wish this were her real grave, it would feel so much more real to be talking to her if it were her actual grave, this just felt like a cheap imitation and it did nothing to fill the empty gap that I could sometimes feel in my heart in moments when I remembered just how much I missed her. "Also, Levy is carrying Gajeel's child. I know, I never expected that he would come around to realise his feelings so soon, however during the time Fairy Tail was disbanded, Levy and Gajeel started to date secretly and now they're going to be parents. I know she'll be a great mother, she'll be wonderful. Just…just like you were."

A drop fell against the back of my hand and I looked to see a tear, making me stare before I realised that I was crying, breathing shakily as the emotion swelled in my chest, causing it to ache in pain and grief. "I'm…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I wish you were here…I want you here…I just can't face this world on my own!" I suddenly yelled, thumping a fist into the ground and accidentally crushed some spring flowers. "Everyone is moving forwards…people are finding their true purpose or have a new dream…and I'm still no closer to achieving anything! They're all…they're all going to leave me behind…I'll be left alone again…mom. Mom why did you go? Why did you have to leave me?" I lifted my head, tears blurring my vision as they came in floods.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LET HIM KILL ME TOO?!" My demand came from the bottom of my soul, the question I had always asked myself. Why shield me? Why sacrifice herself for someone as pitiful as I was. She could have lived on, escaped, had an entire new life but she threw it all away to save me but in the process, abandoned me to my father's torment for what could have been the rest of my life. Did she die trying to spare me…or to spare herself?

Releasing a wave of anger, melancholy sadness and deep emptiness, I lifted a fist and punched the stone which instantly cracked under the blow, breaking apart and crumbling to pieces but the moment I did so, I tensed up and became as still as a statue. What did I just do? How can I lose control like that? I have not been myself these past few days, I have been through so many different phases of character that I do not even recognise myself anymore. Everything seems different, yet this change is not a fortunate one. I feel more lose and confused than I have ever done so before.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly called out in anger and I sensed Laxus storming up behind me. "What the hell was that all about? You better…." When I turned around to look at him, Laxus saw the thick stream of tears that continued to fall down my cheeks, the despairing look in my empty eyes making him stop in place and stare in complete shock. "Hey…what happened?" I shook my head, turning back and refused to look at him as I pressed my hands to my face, gripping on tightly as I continued to sob.

Instead of leaving me alone like I expected him to, Laxus cautiously came up behind me before I felt him kneel down on the ground and suddenly two large arms came to wrap themselves around me, drawing back into the warmth of his body and large coat. My hands dropped slightly and I my crying halted momentarily, confused and a little stunned at the rather tentative gesture. In fact, he was almost shy about holding me this way as I could feel him tense against me. "Just let it out if you need to." He muttered out of embarrassment but did not release me, holding me a little tighter. Unable to hold it back a moment longer my sobs returned, hands burying into my face as Laxus slowly grew accustomed to the contact and leaned a little closer around me so that I was more fully engulfed by him.

I cried until all my tears were dried up and seemingly my energy also as I slumped back against him, eyes closed with pale skin as Laxus checked my temperature. "It's okay." He said to me gently, brushing aside the stains my tears had left behind with smooth strokes of his thumb. "You don't have to worry about anything anymore. I'm here." Blearily my eyes opened and I briefly managed to look at him, seeing his relaxed and indulgent smile meant to offer comfort.

Scooping my up effortlessly Laxus turned around and carried me away from the broken remains of the memorial, shifting me so that my head rested against his shoulder like a headrest, pulling the folds of his coat forwards so that they covered my legs and kept me warm as I slowly lifted a hand and gripped onto his shirt. Why was he being so kind to me? What had I ever done to deserve this? I was a leech to human life, I'd caused so much pain and death in my past.

My mother. My victims whom I'd been forced to torture and even kill in order to remain alive myself. For all those sins, I did not deserve this happy life I had created for myself. I had almost forgotten, however as my mind rested in dark thoughts they all came swimming back to me. Hundreds of faces of which all were indistinctive yet all cried out with the same pain. I mewled slightly, not wanting to see them in my nightmares.

I haven't had nightmares in years, however they were swarming back to me, threatening to take me by my black and twisted soul along with my demon into the depths of hell. They clawed and slashed at my skin, opening the flesh and drawing rivers of blood however as I cried out, I felt a warmth suddenly bloom next to me, bolts of lightning flashing through my mind as they cracked open the darkness, banishing my demons with a powerful rage before the thrum of a voice murmured tenderly.

 _"Be not afraid…your time is near."_

For a brief moment I imagined it was my mother's voice however it was quickly gone and the moment it had passed I found I could not even remember what it had sounded like or recreate it. A more intense warmth followed and even though it was dark, I was drawn to the warmth as it cloaked itself around me and I felt the sensation of comfort wash through me, finally allowing me to sleep in peace as I received the odd sensation of someone embracing me, which only solidified the perception of security even in sleep.


	40. Chapter 40

Someone had an arm around me. It curled over my waist and held me close and I could feel the soft rise and fall of a broad chest against my back. As I slowly awoke from sleep I realised just how warm I was and how neatly I fit against Laxus. His chin was resting against my head as I was tucked neatly underneath him with the covers of my bed draped over us. He must have carried me home then stayed to make sure I was alright, though that does not exactly explain what he was doing in _my_ bed. Shirtless. I've only just realised, but he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Tensing I tried to decide on how best to proceed, unsure whether I should kick him out of the bed or leave him be to wake up on his own and then I'd demand an explanation. Slowly I turned my head, looking over my shoulder to see his placid features and my heart fluttered a little. I'll let him be for the time being, lull him into a false sense of security.

Pulling back the covers I made to slide out of the bed and get myself a drink however as I began to move away, Laxus quickly tightened his grip on me and tugged me back down into his arms, a low groan sounding from the back of his throat as his other arm snaked underneath me. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get a drink, if you must know." I answered him a little snappishly, trying to pull his hands off me but he wasn't relenting. "Now would you please release me? Why are you in my bed anyway? You haven't done anything perverted, have you?" Laxus blinked his sleepy eyes open and for a moment I stared at the fact how candid and innocent his still sleepy expression was.

"You asked me to stay." This caught me off guard. I do not recall ever asking him to stay last night, however I do not sense him telling a lie. I must have been in quite a state if I would resort to asking Laxus of all people to stay with me. "You weren't making much sense and you wouldn't stop crying, but you started to freak out every time I tried to leave."

"Oh." I relaxed a little, sinking into the comfortable mattress of my double bed before exhaling. I still felt exhausted, yesterday had been quit draining. It was never my intention to get so upset but sometimes there are moments when you simply cannot hold yourself together and yesterday must have just been one of those days. "Thank you." Laxus said nothing save for a little nod of his head, pulling his arm out from underneath me to prop himself up, leaning his head against his hand as I glanced him over.

He was so muscular that he almost filled the entire bed, however my attention soon turned to the black tribal tattoo he had on his left arm and chest, my sleep addled mind not process what I was doing until I was delicately tracing the patterns. Laxus remained still, watching me absently as I circled his guild mark, running my fingers down it before I gave a tired sigh. "You are confusingly vexing." I murmured as I lay my head down. Laxus gave a small and curt chuckle but remained propped up on his elbow, looking down at me before slowly reaching out to run his hand over my hair, smoothing it back.

"I told you, I'm going to make you fall for me. You haven't seen anything yet." This made me frown slightly so I shifted, turning so that I was on my back and could look up at him.

"I do not understand." I admitted, still frowning. "Why this sudden advance? You never gave indication before of any intentions, I simply thought you tolerated me because I was your guild mate." Laxus lifted an eyebrow, slightly amused as he continued to run my hair through his fingers.

"You were a brat before. I didn't like you much because you were mouthy and a pest, but I always admired your guts. Not everyone hits me with a cup in the face in a first meeting." I couldn't supress my hum of laughter as I recalled our first encounter of one another. His expression had been classic. "Then each time we met, you always did something that surprised me. Guess you could say I just found you intriguing."

"Well, you were an arrogant brute and I disliked you intensely." I responded bluntly, closing my eyes to rest a little more. "With your high opinion of yourself, always looking down on others. I could not stand you but after Tenrou, you changed a little so I decided to accept you." I waited a while still thinking before I continued. "You still make no sense. Why now of all times? You had plenty of opportunities in the past."

"Let's just say I've only recently decided on what I want. Besides, I'm in no rush. We've got all the time in the world." I felt him shift back down to relax, however his arm suddenly scooped me up and deposited me on his chest, making me start indignantly but he ignored me, placing a hand on my back then closed his eyes to take another nap. Too tired to argue or fight him, I simply lay my head down against his chest, feeling his strong heart thud against my ear and the steady rhythm became my lullaby to lull me back to sleep.


	41. Chapter 41

After the incident with Laxus, people whispered about it for days afterwards but when confronted about it, I'd just tell them that I was teaching Laxus a lesson on playing a fair game but say nothing more. I think people were beginning to draw their own conclusions. It did not bother me as none were malicious, so I let them run until they'd eventually dry up and be forgotten.

Things were quiet around the guild as people were returning to work. Juvia and Gray had gone out on a quest, as had Natsu and Lucy. Erza went north to deal with some monsters that had been terrorising a farming village and everyone else was busy with their own work. Gajeel was out with Lily earning money to support Levy as she was now too far along to even consider going out on any form of quest. She complained about feeling like a bloated whale but I took good care of her, making sure she was warm, well fed and had every book that she wanted to hand.

It was so quiet around the guild, practically everyone had gone, only a few people remained. Macao, Wakaba, Mirajane, Master Makarov and a few others like Nab and Reedus. I quite missed the loud atmosphere when everyone was home. I was just bringing Makarov a drink when I felt a sudden chill shoot down my spine, a familiar darkness creeping up behind me and I froze in place, eyes going wide.

The shadows around the guild began to grow and loom closer, stretching out and an ominous wind moaned, all light being extinguished as I shivered. What was happening? Everyone else in the guild noticed it too, murmuring in confusion and slight concern as without warning, all windows and doors slammed shut, locking everyone inside. "What the heck?!" Wakaba leaped up, cigar falling from his mouth as everyone jumped and yelped in surprise.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Makarov demanded, wheeling himself forwards however as a dark shape began to emerge from the ground, I slowly turned around to face three shadows. Recognising them instantly, the tray dropped from my hands and everything shattered upon contact with the ground, my face losing all colour and fear was scratched onto my features as I trembled. "Who are you demons? How dare you enter the Fairy Tail guild this way!"

 _"Found you."_ Three voices whispered in unison and I flinched against the sound as my three brothers, Kuro, Yasha and Kage. They were here. They'd found me. Everyone here was in immediate danger, I had to lead them away so that no one else will be dragged into this fight, however even as I willed my body to move, it remained petrified from instinctive fear. _"It is time to come home, sister."_

"No…it can't be…" Makarov whispered, glancing between me and my three brothers as they solidified in shape but became no less intimidating as their powerful glares fixated on me. Suddenly the master rolled forwards, positioning himself in front of me. "If you wish to lay a single finger on my child, you'll have to go through the entire guild first! We will not hand her over to you demons!"

"That's right! Whoever you are, you'd better just go!" Laki agreed bravely as she stood up, everyone else following their lead.

"It looks like we have some uninvited guests. What a pity, and I'd just finished cleaning up." Mirajane sighed though she smirked dangerously as her magic power began to build. "But if a fight is what you want then I'll gladly accommodate. It would be rude to refuse, right?" I was painfully reminded just how terrifying Mirajane can be. Everyone moved forwards, most not knowing what was going on, however they came to stand beside me and sent dark looks over to my brothers who paused, reconsidering a moment.

"We will wait for you to come to us." Kuro, my eldest brother, decided. He snapped his fingers and suddenly, without so much as a heartbeat of hesitation, blackness swarmed around us in a thick dark cloud of smoke, his magic soaring to new heights that even startled Mirajane and the Master as everyone cried out.

My brother's scents disappeared, however as everyone started to cough on the smoke that swirled around us, my eyes shot wide open. "Don't breathe it in!" I yelled suddenly, coming back to life. "It's poisonous, everyone hold your breath!" My body shimmered with light as I called forth my Healer's Grace, rubbing my hands together before spreading them wide. "Area Purification, Nullify!" Instantly the smoke began to disappear, banished away and the shadows receded back to their usual places, however as everyone recovered from the attack, feeling lethargic and weakened by the small amount they'd inhaled, I looked around to make sure Levy was alright. "Levy? Levy are you hiding? Where are you?" Spinning around I searched the guild but she was nowhere in sight. "Levy!"

"They took Levy!" Macao growled, clenching a fist as I desperate searched for levy, crying out her name as I ripped aside tables and flung them aside, shattering them to pieces as I panicked. No, no this cannot be. They can't have taken Levy hostage! They knew I'd come for her, they knew I would come to save her!

"Fae, you must calm down." Makarov tried but I whirled around, enraged and terrified at the same time.

"My brothers took Levy! They took her master! They'll hurt her and they won't stop until she's twisted inside out. I know what they are…what they do…I…I used to be just like them…I knew this was all too good to be true." I hyperventilated, barely keeping the floods of tears at bay. "They knew all along where I was. I should never have allowed myself to stay here, now you're all in danger!"

"That's enough!" Makarov barked and I stopped, surprised by the raise in his voice but the moment I was complacent, his face softened. "Mirajane, send word out to our strongest teams. We'll need them home immediately."

"Yes master." She nodded and quickly set off to do as the master had ordered.

"Master I…"

"Do not be afraid, you are not going to stand against your old nightmares alone. This time, we will be standing right there beside you." The warmth and love in his words moved me to the core and I blinked, slowly sinking to the ground as everyone around me nodded their heads, giving me encouragement and comfort. They were all here, they were willing to stand next to me and fight against my enemies as if they were their own. I always forgot just how much Fairy Tail treasures family, how much they were willing to sacrifice for the sake of one comrade. I _should_ know, as I'd do the same.

"Master, thank you." I whispered, feeling much more settled and as my fears quelled, a new burning resolve took sway and I sat up a little taller. "Thank you for everything, for being loving and understanding, for being the father that I never had." I said to him and he nodded his head at me. "Thank you to everyone, who have helped me grow into the person that I am today. Thank you for all the wonderful memories, the adventures and for all the times that we stood side by side."

"Yes, yes, we know. You are one of us, Faerie, therefore we stand beside you now and always." Makarov informed me but I gave him a sad smile, a heavy feeling growing in my chest as I reached out to him.

"Unfortunately master, I cannot allow that this time. You all deserve peace and happiness and I merely obstruct that future. Please, tell everyone that I am sorry I could not stay longer, but it is time for me to go. Let me protect you all, one last time." Makarov started, beginning to protest in confusion however before he could say a word my magic swelled and I sent him to sleep with a single spell. He slumped in his chair, starting to snore and everyone yelped in shock and darted forwards but I sent a wave through everyone, making them all drop like stones, even Mirajane. "Forgive me." I murmured before I turned around, my skirts swirling as I turned to face the door and this time, when I stepped outside, I received the cold and numb feeling that I would not be returning home ever again.

It is time to face my demons, to end things once and for all. As I walked forwards my wings appeared with a bright flash, my eyes opening to reveal orbs of scarlet red, rage burning in their depths as a strong resolution settled in my soul. They made a _grave_ mistake in taking Levy, now I shall turn them all into dust for taking her from us. Even if they have not touched her, I'll make sure they'll suffer the full ferocity of my wrath for ever showing their faces to me. I shall not stop until even my father cowers in fear before me. I'll turn their castle into a ruin, I'll break all of their spirits one by one and consume their souls.

Deep inside, I felt a presence stir, rising from sleep at the bloodlust that I felt within my entire body. She rose higher, returning to consciousness but I kept her locked away behind the door so even as I heard her hiss and snarl distantly, she could not break through. My wings flapped once and I soared into the air with a boom, breaking the sound barrier and I turned to fly straight across the ocean, following the coast before I veered further out to sea. I knew exactly where they'd be. Even though I did not know the exact location of my old home as it had been so carefully tucked away on an island away from the mainland, a strange sense guided me towards it, almost as if I was being guided by instinct.

Blood will flow like rivers until it turns the ocean red. I _will_ defeat you, father, once and for all. I am more powerful than I have ever been before and, this time, I will hold back _nothing_ until I am certain that you will never again rise to hurt another soul ever again.


	42. Chapter 42

The ocean seemed endless, passing below me as I continued to fly towards the homing sensation that I felt in my gut. Levy. I'm coming for you Levy. Just hold on a little longer. I'd been flying for hours, however as a dark shape started to loom over the horizon and the storm clouds swirled overhead, I knew I was getting close. The waves were choppy and I had to quickly move to avoid being caught up in a huge tidal wave, flying a little higher to escape being dragged to the bottom of the ocean.

A huge island made completely of rock came ever closer and I felt a pang of fearful nostalgia and sickness but I quickly thrust it aside. Now is not the time for weakness. Levy needs to be rescued and I swear, if they have hurt her _or_ the baby, it will be a bloodbath. Huge cascading cliffs held back the wrath of the ocean, huge waves climbing over thirty feet high as I veered towards the castle that stood at the highest peak.

Dark grey stone stood lifeless and void, black gaps empty of life the only movement came from the fluttering black banners that stood on the turrets. Black with a white spear piercing a red, bloodied heart. It made me shiver. Circling around I opened my wings and descended for the courtyard which was empty, not a sound stirring save for the wind that rattled against the stone prison that had once been my home. "Show yourselves." I commanded in a smooth, calm voice, allowing them to come to me.

They rose from the shadows, amassing in a large vanguard to greet me though there was no friendliness in our reunion. Several scents and people I recognised, however as my brother Kuro stepped forwards everyone drew back and knelt down before him as the heir to my father's empire. "You came, sister." He mused, slightly surprised. "I was doubtful, but father insisted that you would come for any one of your companions."

"Correct. Hand her over to me immediately." I ordered, hair rising like a thick mass of black, eyes flashing with rage as I struggled to hold myself together.

"I cannot allow that, sister." He answered me with a sigh, blue eyes appearing distant and reserved as he stretched out a hand. "Please, come quietly and your friend will remain untouched." Seeing that I had no choice, I nodded my head. Until I had Levy right beside me where I could protect her, I could not do anything that could put her in danger. I allowed myself to be surrounded, my brother's watchful gaze constantly regarding every move I made as magic confinement stones were cuffed around my wrist, sealing my magic and instantly I felt a little bit more vulnerable.

One of the assassins shoved me forwards, aiming a blow to my ribs out of disrespect and resentment, however my brother's quick hands caught the blow and suddenly the assassin was blown backwards, a dark expression stormy on my brother's face.

"Do not touch the prisoner." He ordered and instantly everyone knelt, bowing their heads. Kuro gave them a disgusted sneer before he placed a cold hand on my shoulder and pushed me forwards so that I walked beside him, hands locked together in front of me.

"Where is Levy?" I demanded to know but Kuro refused to answer, keeping his attention locked forwards and his fingers dug a little more tightly into my shoulder. I was guided through halls that I remembered from my childhood, tears, blood and misery aged into the old stone. No light had ever shone here, I do not think this castle has ever even seen the sun. It was a miserable place and I loathed to be back here.

Kuro guided me down to the dungeons where I could hear the agonised screams of prisoners, both captives and assassins facing punishment. As assassins, my old guild had also been required to gather information about certain targets, therefore torture was a key skill. Quickly I averted my gaze. I was pushed towards the private chambers, darkness quickly surrounding me as I was pushed down a flight of stairs and I stumbled slightly, unable to see until my eyes adjusted.

"Who…who's there?" A small and frightened voice whispered and instantly my ears caught the sound and I sniffed.

"Levy, it's alright. I'm here to fetch you home." I spoke with a voice of clarity, not betraying any fear and instantly I heard the rattling of chains, Levy sitting bolt upright as she gasped, tears starting to fall and I could smell their salt in this dark, grimy room.

"Fae! Oh Fae…I'm so frightened. These people…these people mess with your mind…I've had so many nightmares even when I'm awake…" She sobbed so I made my way towards her, groping against the wall to feel my way as Kuro stood among the shadows, perfectly blending in until I found Levy. She jumped violently and whimpered when she felt my fingers brush against her shackled body but I hushed her softly, finding her face to comfort her.

"Hush, it's only me. I am so sorry you were dragged into this, Levy, but I promise that I am sending you home even if it is the last thing I do." Levy continued to cry but she seemed a little more settled now that I was here with her. I sniffed the air again but could not smell any blood so I assumed she had not been physically injured, however from what she said I knew that they had been torturing her in the mind. "You will regret this. I swear." I vowed darkly, turning to face my brother.

He said nothing however he flicked his wrist and suddenly I flew away from Levy and became attached to the wall by my shackles, a low growl emitting from my chest as my eyes burned red. I tried to break free but my strength was not enough to even move a muscle. I was trapped. For the time being at least. With another snap of his fingers light appeared, candles bursting with small flames which filled a dim light in the circular cell which was to be our prison. "You should never have left, sister." Kuro said to me as he turned and returned up to the door. "Now you will suffer a fate much worse than death."

"At least I now know what true freedom feels like." I answered coldly and Kuro stopped, looking back at me. His face slackened slightly in astonishment, seeing the unwavering resolve on my hardened features. Of course, he'd expect me to be the same as I was. Weak, feeble and timid. To see me now was probably the greatest of shocks as I was not going to give up, not now or ever. They can torture me all they like. I'll take it all gladly.

Quickly Kuro spun around, his black robes swirling as he locked the door behind him and I listened as his footsteps slowly softened until all was silent. I could see Levy a little more clearly now so I turned to her. She was sitting on the floor, a little dusty and grimy however her face still looked petrified, shivering from the cold. I wished there was something I could do but for the moment I was helpless.

"Do not worry Levy." I said to her, giving her a relaxed smile. "I won't let them touch you."

"But we're stuck here, Fae, and we can't use magic! No amount of magical power can overcome these handcuffs, they're specially designed to withhold the magical power of even the greatest wizard. Not even one of the Ten Wizard Saints could break them!" Levy panicked, crying despairingly as she curled her legs up to protect her stomach. "I don't want them to hurt my baby, Fae, please don't let them hurt my baby…"

"Both you and the baby will be home soon, Levy. Trust me. You trust me, don't you?" I questioned and she nodded her head, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "That's better. You're too cute to cry and what would Gajeel say if he saw you now?" I reasoned and this seemed to give her more courage.

"You're right. I'm not a weak little baby anymore." She agreed, closing her eyes to meditate a moment before she nodded. "I'm alright."

"Excellent." I approved, giving her another smile. "Now we'll have to be patient. They'll be back soon enough and I want you to be prepared, because they're going to make sure I suffer dearly for turning my back on them." I began to explain to her but her eyes widened in alarm. "But do not fear, I shall not let them touch you. I know exactly the game they will play. I need you to promise me, Levy, that when you get back to the guild you ask Mest to remove all memory of this place and everything you saw here. It will be for the best."

"Best? What do you mean? What are they going to do to you Fae? And what do you mean when _I_ get back to the guild? We'll be getting out of here together! There's no way I'm leaving you here alone with these freaks!" She declared determinedly however as the key rattled in the lock and the door swung open, I widened my stance and glared at the two assassins who descended the stairs.

"They won't chase Fairy Tail if I am no longer part of it. You'll go home and I will stay." I whispered lowly so that they would not hear me. Levy did not have the chance to argue or protest as the two masked assassins stepped out in front of me. My eyes bloomed darkly with rage, the taut fury of my feature enough to make them recoil lightly from me but they recovered quickly, one of them opening a palm to ignite a handful of fire whilst the other used his magic to bind me with black tendrils, locking my neck, waist and legs down so that even as I tried to shake them off but when I realised that breaking free was not possible, I resigned to simply continue glaring at them. "Look away Levy. Look away _now_." I ordered her and she quickly pressed her eyes shut and turned her head.

They tortured me in all kinds of ways imaginable, combining their different uses of magic to heighten every pain sensation possible. I did my best not to cry out and in the beginning, it was easy to bite my tongue and not react, however they continued to experiment until finally I could not hold back the yells of agony that ripped through my chest. My clothes were soon ruined, barely held together by the finest of threads.

Levy was crying and I could hear her only a few feet away, however whenever one turned to her, I'd bellow in a livid rage, unable to speak a coherent sentence but they were frightened enough of me and my glowing red eyes that they stayed well away from her. Eventually they left and I sagged in place, legs collapsing so that I hung from my bare wrists, gasping and panting to recover my breath. My body was caked in sweat and cuts from the lashes, sickly burns running all the way up my arms and one of my eyes had swollen shut.

"Fae…Fae? Fae are you alright? Please Fae, please answer me." Levy begged so I swallowed back the dryness of my throat and lifted my head, giving her my best smile I could muster.

"Sure, hardly felt a thing." I answered before I passed out, unable to remain conscious any longer. I dipped in and out of consciousness, however when I next fully came around I was already being tortured again, this time by a new pair of assassins with a different approach to things. They preferred to bring me to the brink of death by any means necessary then resuscitate me. I lost count how many times they drowned me in water, electrocuting me also but I bit back everything, allowing it to build inside me and feed the flames of my wrath.

"Stop it!" Levy yelled, trying to lash out at them with her foot. "You'll kill her!" Blearily I opened my eyes, feeling weak and pathetic. They ignored her, fulfilling their duty before they left. "Fae? You have to escape from here, you can't survive this much longer?"

"Survive?" I questioned weakly, barely able to muster the energy to speak. "I have…no intention of surviving…my fate is decided, I should…never have tried to…" I trailed off, distantly hearing Levy shouting my name but the blackness swallowed me. I swam in the endless sea for a duration of time that I could only measure by the amount the candles had shrunk. By my estimate, we'd been here for at least three days with the torture being more or less constant. Were they trying to find my breaking point?

"You're awake." A voice spoke and I instantly recognised it.

"Yasha." I murmured, a small smile touching my lips as my head remained bowed. "I wondered…when you'd come…where's Kage?"

"He'll be here in his own time." Yasha answered, stepping forwards and lifted my head, touching a cup to my lips and gave me a drink of water but I shook my head, turning away and gestured to Levy who was sleeping nearby.

"Her." Yasha sighed but complied. "Don't frighten her." I quickly added but he shot me a look, so I fell silent. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder but Levy quickly woke, becoming alert and she instinctively lashed out with her leg, giving a yell as she booted my brother in the gut, catching him off guard.

"Get away from me!"

"Levy, he has water." I spoke softly, my voice hoarse and raspy. "Yasha will give you water." Levy stopped, blinking before she glared.

"I want nothing from them!"

"Levy please…you need to drink…or you might affect the baby…" This made her reconsider, looking down to her stomach before sighing. She glared at Yasha all the while he gave her the drink but he remained unfazed, allowing her to drain the cup before he refilled it and brought it to me. I guzzled it down greedily, choking in my haste but it tasted so wonderful that I was impatient.

"Do not worry, it will be over soon little sister." Yasha said to me, hands falling to his side. "Father will not kill you."

"I do not care…just send Levy home." I answered, slowly beginning to lift my head so that I could meet his gaze. Yasha arched a slim eyebrow as he saw the steely gaze my eyes held, still unbroken despite all they had put me through. "Let her go free."

"Father has refused. He needs her for the ritual." Instantly my expression darkened, making Yasha recoil slightly as I felt power begin to surge through me though the moment it made an appearance it was quickly suppressed once more.

" _What_ ritual?" I demanded to know but Yasha did not answer, turning away. "Get back here…get back here!" I released a roar, trying to take after him but my hands remained locked against the wall. This was hopeless, so hopeless. Exhausted from the sudden exertion my eyes closed and I did not open them again for another hour or so, however this time when I woke I saw my younger brother Kage standing there.

He was glaring at me, arms folded across his chest as hate rolled off him in waves. Without warning his foot slammed against the wall beside my head, cracking the stone but my eyes did not even flinch as I met his glare levelly. "You traitorous piece of filth." He snarled but I did not answer. "I asked that we simply kill you have done with it, but father insists that we keep you alive. At least for the time being." He leaned closer, foot still grinding into the wall. "Are you frightened, big sis? Father is going to rip your mind to pieces and stitch back together so that you're as twisted as the devil himself. He'll send you after every single one of your pathetic guild mates and make you kill them one by one before putting you back to normal, then you can despair at all the bloodshed that you caused. So tell me _big sis_ , are you terrified?" My eyes gleamed like hot amber, anger rising in my chest.

"Do I look terrified to you?" I asked, pleasantly surprised by the strength of my voice. Kage recoiled, pulling back before he grit his teeth, snarling at me. His fist rammed against my get with so much force that I coughed up blood, instantly making Levy panic.

"Stop it! Stop hurting her!" Kage ignored her, however his hand shot out and backhanded her, causing a red mark to mar her cheek and it quickly started to bruise as she whimpered.

"Both of you…you'll rot in hell!" He snarled, storming away before I had a chance to realise what he'd done. My eyes were wide in horror before I hurriedly tried to move towards Levy but all I could do was stretch out my foot and brush my toes against hers.

"Levy…Levy…are you alright?"

"Yeah, hardly hurt." She answered, stretching out so that our feet were connected together, drawing comfort from one another.

"Don't worry Levy, we'll be out of here soon. Now that I have ascertained their patrol patterns, I can formulate a plan for our escape." I informed her and she sat up a little, surprised.

"Really? How? You've been passed out all the time that they were torturing you."

"Not all the time." I winked at her before nodding my head towards the candles. "The candles indicate how much time have passed and I can measure the hours using such a method of reasoning. I know that they change shift every six hours, that they have no less than ten assassins guarding the upstairs dungeon." I listed a few more things that I knew from listening to both the assassin guards and to my surroundings when I was supposed to be unconscious. "Don't underestimate my strength, Levy, I'm a tough one to crack."

Smirking to myself I wriggled, trying to get a little closer to her as she smiled in relief. "Great, I leave myself in your hands, Fae. Please, take good care of me."

"Of course, my precious gem." I assured her before looking towards the door and around the small cell. There was very little to help by means of an escape, so I resigned to mulling it over in my head. "Hm, Levy, any ideas?"

"Well, first things first, we're not getting anywhere with these things on." She reasoned and gave her restraints a rattle. "But the only time we leave this cell is when we're allowed to use the restroom. Your eldest brother isn't as cruel as he looks." I chuckled.

"My brother Kuro has a sense of honour about him when it comes to prisoners. Unless there is something that he wants from them, they are not to be touched. You, for instance, are an innocent in all this and therefore receive better treatment than someone else. Plus, you are a pregnant woman, both of which play heavily in your favour. He will not show any more kindness, however, so do not count on appealing to his mercy." Levy exhaled, going a little limp from pure exhaustion. Her arms must be aching from hanging there for so long.

"This sucks…" I heartily agreed with her, however I was not about to give up. I thought over several ideas, however nothing seemed plausible enough to work. Levy was correct when she said we had to get these restraints off so that we could use magic, however that was not going to be happening any time soon. Giving a sigh I nudged Levy, turning a smile to her as she looked up.

"We'll be alright. I promise." After a moment she nodded her head, relaxing to rest and I did the same, though I always carefully listened out for anyone approaching, always suspicious and ever watchful.


	43. Chapter 43

I awoke to hear Levy screaming. Instantly I was jarred awake and I saw her being forcibly being carried away by two men, her angered yells ringing in my ears as she lashed out, kicking and scratching with all her might before they knocked her out with a spell, sending her to sleep as I surged forwards. "Release her immediately!" I commanded however they continued to carry her limp body away. "No! Levy, Levy! Bring her back, return her to me right NOW!" I bellowed, pulling on my restraints with all my might.

They carried her away until I could no longer sense her. The ritual Yasha had mentioned…was it now? No, what will they do to her? Levy, I cannot allow her to be harmed now, I must rescue her immediately! "Bring her back. BRING HER BACK TO ME OR I SHALL FEAST ON YOUR FLESH!" My endless roar filled the entire dungeon and beyond, the ground suddenly beginning to tremble as a surge of power swelled within me in response to my overwhelming emotion.

I clung to that energy, sucking in a deep breath and releasing another bellow as I pulled the magic from deep within me and released as much of it as I could muster all at once, starting to sense the very area around me crack and break in response to the distortion of my surroundings. Air rushed around me, a light bursting forth and as the immense level of magic power overwhelmed the restraints, I felt them shatter as the wall was blasted away, the light shooting outwards at the sudden release.

My eyes burned lividly, rage coursing through my veins as I rose steadily to my feet, feeling my body go entire numb from the expelling of magical power which was quickly beginning to recede. Not waiting a moment of my limited time, I spread my arms and felt my metal wings appear behind me, ringing clear as I gave a single flap before all at once, I broke through the door and took most of the wall with it.

Assassins were already rushing towards me but I barrelled straight through the, folding one wing over me to power through, punching a hole straight through before I started to follow Levy's scent. I darted after it, a mere flash of light and I was gone. As I reached the halls on the first floor, I found my path being blocked by an entire platoon of assassins who readied their weapons and attacks, sending them shooting straight for me.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" Not even hesitating I lead with a single fist, punching straight forwards and the force of power from my attack sent them all flying backwards, the loud boom sounding like a crack of thunder as I swept my way through, using my wings as I spiralled to take down any lucky survivors from my first hit.

I ascended the stairs, however when once more my path was blocked by large thorns which were growing until they filled the entire corridor I came to a halt. Reaching out my hand I summoned my celestial steel weapon, glaring as I twirled it around then directed it straight at the blockade. The spearhead charged, the orb glowing brighter and brighter before finally, with a single blast which shook the entire castle, I blasted aside the thorns and made them disintegrate into ash as my attack blew apart the side of the castle at the same time, ripping stones from the wall until the entire hallway was ruined.

Dismissing the weapon, I surged forwards once more. Soon enough I realised just exactly where the scent was bringing me, it was heading towards to the throne room so I went straight for it. Eventually the ranks of assassin's pulled back, their weapons either harmlessly glancing off my armour or their attacks merely being absorbed by my Absorption Magic. Either way, I was like a typhoon, a force of nature that would not be contended with.

They attempted another blockade with magical barriers so when I found I could not go forwards, I turned around and blasted my way through the wall instead, causing it to collapse with a colossal shake like an earthquake as I began to breeze my way forwards, ascending the stairs and as I approached the main double doors to the throne room, I pushed them open with effortless grace, my rage dimming slightly as I took a moment to survey my surroundings.

A huge throne of twisted dark matter sat at the far end of the room which seemed to become ever more distant the more my throat seized up, a cold shiver settling over my body as I felt a palpable darkness begin to swarm towards me. Taking a slow breath I moved forwards, eyes glancing to the left and right as my brothers appeared from the shadows. Levy was ahead of me at the base of a tall throne upon an alter, wrapped in ribbons of putrid purple and red, face contorted in pain as she levitated.

"You cannot hope to beat us, sister." Kuro said to me quietly, the three of them moving forwards as silent as phantoms, making to surround me but I kept my eyes glued on Levy.

"What is this?" I questioned, halting as not to antagonise them. I _will_ have answers, then I shall act. I must know exactly what I am dealing with before I can formulate a plan to escape. "What is father doing with her?"

"She is to become a vessel. Or at least, the child she carries will." Yasha answered, pale face sickly looking among the shadows of black. "Those that fell the first time shall rise again, little sister, and the greatest darkness shall take over these lands to create the new kingdom."

"New kingdom? Explain yourself further." I ordered and Yasha blinked at my forcefulness, eyes hard and deadly. My three brothers glanced between one another, each wearing different expressions. Kuro looked mildly concerned and unsure of how to proceed. Yasha appeared alarmed and surprised by the vast difference of character I displayed. Kage looked as if he simply wished to destroy me on the spot and squeeze the life from my lungs with a hand around my throat.

"You are clever, sister." Kuro finally answered me, sighing with a bow of his head. "What do you know of the origins of evil and angels?" Instantly my eyes widened. Of course, it was all to do with this ridiculous Hand of Satan nonsense. When a third of the host of heaven were cast out, they landed on earth and began to cause misery and suffering among the humans until the second third of the angelic host descended to fight against them alongside the humans. That is where the origin of Angel Soul began. "Father is cunning, he will use the infant to hold the greatest of all evils and then, once the time is right, we shall rule over the world and purge it of all goodness. The angels have their own kingdom, it is only right that we have our own."

"This is madness!" I declared with a gasp, shaking my head.

"It is too late, there is nothing you can do to stop us." Kage grinned wickedly, raising a hand to form a swirling mass of black preparing to strike me down however my eyes only narrowed.

"We shall see." A blast erupted from around me, causing my brothers to be thrown back as I surrounded myself in light and selected my form, ready to take them down as quickly as possible so that I could get Levy away from here. "Sunlight Radiance." My body glowed effortlessly, casting back the shadows as I then disappeared in a flash of light. I aimed straight for Kage, who growled and tried to locate me however I balled a fist and hit him directly in the face, not holding back anything. "I will tear you all to pieces!"

"You will suffer a thousand deaths for this!" Kage bellowed, quickly recovering and also began to transform. All three of my brothers became encased in black, eyes turning dark red as their bodies melted into the shadows. I could not sense them whilst they hid, so the only time I could react was when they made an attack. Even a millisecond of hesitance would end in my death, so I could not afford to have slow reactions.

We battled hard against one another, attacks striking one another and rebounding off the walls, our fingers, feet and entire bodies being thrown into attacks so that after no more than a minute, my body was bleeding from several new scratches and was quickly becoming weak. They had drained me of energy and my stamina was rapidly depleting. I had to rely on my magical strength to keep me alive and finish this quickly.

My fist swung and connected with Kuro as my other hand held outwards and flashes of light gathered in a multitude of orbs about the room, glowing brighter and brighter before they flew straight towards my opponents and hammered against their body. "Putrid Darkness." Yasha murmured, trying to form a shield around himself but my attack broke straight through and I heard them all cry out in pain and drop down.

Kuro quickly readied his next attack, staggering back to his feet. "Thorns, Twisting Agony." He slammed both hands into the ground and suddenly, huge brambles and thorns erupted from the ground and I had to hurriedly move to avoid touching any of the spikes. Brushing against just one would result in immense pain, enough to drive you insane. I should know, he'd attacked me with this same move when I was a younger girl.

"Rising Dawn!" I answered and my body intensified with light, shining so brightly that the thorns began to disintegrate, becoming ash and falling away as I flapped my wings, keeping myself levitated above the ground where Kage and Yasha lay, spent of energy. Just Kuro standing. I'll finish this right _now_. "Sunrise Brilliant Beams." My voice was low and calm, holding my hands together as the light gathered before a beam shot straight towards Kuro, his eyes widening as the attack chased away the darkness of his form to leave him remaining a human.

The attack slammed into his chest and knocked him flying backwards, striking the wall which cracked underneath him before he then hit the ground, going completely still. Seeing that all three of my brothers were defeated, I relaxed a little. I had surpassed them in power, something I had never been able to do before. Although the victory should taste sweet, it left nothing but a bitter taste in my mouth as I allowed my form to fade away, revealing a beaten, bruised and broken body as I struggled to stand on my left foot as it was heavily broken. They do not pull back their punches, not even for their sister.

Turning away from them I made my way towards Levy, trying my best not to limp. When I reached her I saw how lightly she was breathing and as I listened, her heart was barely beating. "Don't worry Levy, I'm taking you home." Reaching out I carefully analysed the magic that held her however when I found it was a very simple enchanting technique I knew exactly how to dispel it. "Just one moment." I murmured to her, taking a few breaths to recover a little strength. Once I felt a little more grounded, I reached out my hand ready to dispel the enchantment which held her in sleep however before I did so, a coldness entered the room.

Instantly I froze in place however it was not of fear. My body refused to move or obey, locked in stasis as my eyes widened, sensing a terrifying entity that had haunted my nightmares for many years. "Daughter." The chilling whisper brought back a thousand memories and my blood froze in my veins, heart stopping in my chest as he appeared like a wisp of smoke before finally materialising upon his throne.

My father.

"It has been so long, my daughter. You have grown into quite a remarkable young woman." He mused, dead and empty eyes branding my own with a fierce fire. He had changed very little since I had last seen him, except for looking older. His long hair was swept back into an elegant ponytail, grey and steely like the sharpest of swords. His eyes were of deep amber yet much crueller than mine, narrowed into slits like that of a serpent's with the crest of his guild proudly situated upon his forehead which was now wrinkled slightly from age. "You have been a nuisance. Inconveniences must be punished."

Before I could react or even hope to protect myself, I felt an invisible force slam against me, shattering my ribs and the bones of my limbs in one blow as I screamed instinctively from the pain. I flew across the room before I hit the wall at the far end, however without hesitation I was then sent to the other side, hitting the wall again with such force that it broke underneath me, crumbling with a hiss of dust. I gasped, sucking in a breath as my already broken body was shattered completely.

My father had not even moved, merely watched as I was tossed about the room before I was once more brought before the alter, chains snapping around my neck and wrists to hold me down as my head dropped slightly. "Did you really think that you would escape this fate?" His voice echoed in the caverns of my mind, my focus blurring as I struggled to think coherently. "Daughter, you only escaped because I allowed you to. I knew exactly where you were at all times. I know every single quest you took, I know who everyone in that pathetic guild is. I know absolutely _everything_."

His hand curled around my throat and squeezed which, paired with the metal of the chains around my neck, made me choke as he forced me to look him in the eye. He was so terrifying to me. There was nothing inhuman about him, by all accounts he was not even scary looking except for the pure hatred and rage in his eyes, however to me he was even more frightening than Acnologia had been. I wished I could simply crawl away and simply fade away. "Now…you have something that I want. It is time for you to give it back."

"Give…back? What do you…?" I struggled to speak as he choked me but he refused to let go. Behind me I saw my brothers beginning to stand, recovering from their ordeal with me but they stayed well back, none of them daring to approach as my father looked down upon me.

"Your demise…will be slow and everlasting. I shall make you suffer for all eternity for ever defying me." His voice shook with power and as his magical aura began to escalate, I was alarmed by just how much power this one man wielded. It was equal to that of August, one of the Spriggan Twelve, yet as more seconds ticked by it deepened and even surpassed him. How could one person hold so much power within them? It was truly petrifying.

His hand hovered over my chest, eyes never once leaving mine as wordlessly, he began to pull something from deep inside me. I cried out in pain, writhing and lashing out but the chains only tightened against me, forcing me still. Wisps of darkness began to leave my chest, seemingly tearing my very soul from my body as I struggled to breathe. I cannot allow him to win, I…I must think of something. Turning my hand over I pressed my palm to the alter, still crying and screaming as my father manipulated something within me. I took a deep breath, trying to quieten down as I pressed my eyes shut and concentrated to the best of my ability.

Inwardly I whispered the enchantment to cancel the one holding Levy hostage, dispelling the sleeping charm and bondage that kept her captive. It'll be a while before she woke up properly, however at least now she was free. If I can manage to fend off my father even for a moment, I'll be able to send her away from here.

Suddenly, I felt a presence begin to rise in my mind. No. No, I know what he is after. This is terrible, it will be catastrophic! He cannot take _her_. I felt her sickening hiss tickle at the back of my head, rising to the forefront of my mind as my own skin began to shift, wracking pain shooting fire up my body as she was pulled forwards. "No! No, no please, don't!" I begged but my implorations fell upon deaf ears.

 _"Hello little Faerie. Did you miss me?"_ As her essence was extracted from me, I gave one final scream as I tried to fight back but it was to no avail. My father stood back and watched as the form of a powerful demon took place before me, seemingly emerging from my own skin before finally her body took shape, the twisting mist forming into that of a woman with long hair that touched her ankles, curvaceous and deadly as her leathery tail flickered and her huge raven wings lifted, malting with sickly looking feathers. "Aaaah… _so_ much better." She hissed, stretching and cracking her sore muscles as I slumped, completely exhausted. "Oh? What's this?"

Suddenly she was in my face, crouched down over me as her wings spread, shielding me from my father's view as she traced a long claw down on my face, splitting the skin and drawing blood. "My darling Fae, you have been such a naughty little girl, trying to keep me locked away in that prison of a body." She mused, her voice chilling and rippling with power. She was not human, I could feel it. As I opened my eyes I saw red eyes glaring down at me, thin lips pressed into a hard line as the sharp accents of her face made her look more like a harpy than a demon.

"Please…" I begged weakly, hardly able to speak. I had to plead for Levy, they had to let her go. If they needed a body then they could have mine, I'm ready to die and disappear as I have had too much pain for it ever to fade.

"Please? Please what, my darling little Faerie?" She questioned before suddenly the chains were ripped away and she lifted me up by my hair, feet leaving the ground as she stood at her full height. "You impudent little whelp. You kept me locked away in that disgusting body of yours, keeping me weak and fragile even when you _dared_ to use my own body to fight. Do you have any idea how _humiliating_ it is for I, the greatest of all Fallen Angels, to be stuck inside _you_." I barely heard her, however I could just about understand what she was saying, though it made little sense. Fallen angel? "That's right, little Faerie, whilst you have been running around looking for answers, you neglected to realise that you were _carrying_ the Hand of Satan right inside you." My eyes widened.

"No." I whispered, staring at her as I winced, my hair pulling against my scalp as she continued to hold me off the ground. Such strength. "Impossible."

"Tut-tut, and here I was thinking you were actually a little clever. Stupid girl." My demon clucked at me, her forked tongue flickering as her red reptilian eyes glowed with manic glee. "But it is true. The object you were looking for was not an object at all. It was me all along. I am Satan's right hand man, or woman. Anyway, my lord awaits me and I have things to do up here to prepare for his arrival. You be a good girl now and just die, okay?" She blew me a kiss then flung me away with such force that when I hit the ground, it cracked and dropped under my landing, creating a crater as she giggled and cackled wildly.

"Forget about the girl, I plan to have her tortured forever in the fire pits of hell." My father spoke, stepping forwards with his hands behind his back. "Preparations must be made immediately."

"Don't get in my way you filthy human!" The black winged being screeched, making to rake her claws down his face however my father merely lifted a finger and suddenly she screamed in pain, dropping to her knees and clutching her face. Blearily I watched the interaction, confused and although in agony, I tried to shift and move towards them. I have to stop them somehow. "You dare use such ancient magic against me? I _invented_ it!" She bellowed with a voice full of wrath, however my father remained unfazed.

"You are under my control. Ever since I found the tomb where you were sealed away, the bond states that you must obey me otherwise you will suffer. You lost the favour of the Dark Lord millennia ago when you lost the war. Now _I_ shall be the one to stand at his side, whilst you cower beneath me. _Filth_." He moved his hand just a fraction and she screamed again, beating her fists and feet against the ground as she raged.

"It's not fair! It's not fair! AAGH!" She finally stopped, glaring darkly at my father before relenting. "Very well. We shall do as you say." Though she looked as if the words themselves were like ingesting poison, she submitted herself for the time being. "But be warned. No one forces I, the great Solas, chosen by His Greatest Majesty, to bend the knee." Solas. So she finally has a name. Solas. In demonology, she is meant to be a great demon prince of hell, with a great knowledge of poisons and poisonous plants as well as precious stones.

"Until the Lord of Darkness returns, you are my puppet. Bring the prisoner, we need her as a vessel and sacrifice." Father answered her, voice quiet but ringing with dark power as he turned and began to sweep away.

"Just you wait, when I am back to my full strength, I shall kill you." Solas muttered as she picked herself up. She made her way to move over to Levy, reaching out a clawed hand to touch her however my fingers twitched. How _dare_ she try and touch Levy. I can hardly move, everything inside me is broken and I was bleeding from so many wounds, however I could still move three fingers. That's enough. All I needed was three fingers to fight. Erza took down a meteor with just one hand, if she can do that then I can fight off my enemies with three fingers.

Gritting my teeth I managed to move my hand so that it was directed towards Levy, summoning the strength to form a barrier around her. The moment Solas touched it, she ripped her hand back and cried out as the barrier rejected her, causing a flurry of sparks to jump down her arm. "You!" She whirled around to face me. "You devious little…" Whatever insult she made to say was soon lost as a boom rumbled around the castle, shaking every single stone and I took a deep breath, preparing for whatever it was that was now coming directly towards us.

Such intense rage and magical power…I could feel it even from here. Solas blinked, clicking her fangs together before finally, without so much as a pause for warning, the entire south side wall collapsed and my brothers all had to hurriedly run to avoid being caught in the blast as rocks flew everywhere and a voice roared, making my entire body stiffen in shock. "YOU GOT OUR FRIENDS, GIVE 'EM BACK!"

 _Natsu_ …I have never felt so relieved to hear his voice. I could sense him, he was here. So were Lucy and Happy, Gray, Erza, Wendy and Carla. Juvia was here too, I could hear the rushing of water as she yelled in fury, washing away my brothers as Solas hurriedly protected herself but my father stood looking utterly bored, not even bothering to move as everything fell around him, not even a speck of dust touching his body. They came.

Suddenly, another rumble sounded and the ground near the doors exploded, Gajeel and Lily appearing and the terrifying expression Gajeel wore was enough to even make me want to pull away from him. "You got my girl there, you sorry sons of bitches…" He growled, cracking his knuckles. "I'm gonna make you pay for even putting one finger on her." Hearing his voice, Levy began to stir, groaning softly and I tried to move towards her, however my body would not respond.

"Fae! Don't worry Fae, I'm going to help you get better." Wendy informed me as she ran straight to us, dropping down on her knees and immediately began to use her healing magic. It was a like a fountain water after an eternity of desert. The relaxing and soothing sensations rippled down my body as I groaned, hardly able to think as Wendy focused on healing me. "She's hurt pretty bad, they must have been torturing her for days."

"That's awful!" Lucy gasped before spinning around, gritting her teeth. "Hold back Natsu, I'm going to bring the pain to these jerks, you'll wish you'd never even set eyes on her ever again once I'm through with you! Open, Gate of the Golden Bull!" She yelled before touching the key to her chest. "Star Dress!" A soft smile touched my lips as I sensed everyone fighting around us, keeping back the swarms of assassins that came after them.

Gajeel was fighting against Kuro whilst Juvia and Gray took on Yasha and Erza was already pounding my little brother Kage like a punch bag. He didn't even stand a chance against her fury. "You'll never touch Fae again, this ends now!" She declared before going straight for Solas who had finally awoken from her shock and dove straight into battle. The booms of sound around us was deafening, however when I felt the air begin to tingle and crackle with electricity, I knew exactly who was coming.

Huge blasts of thunderbolts shook the castle, sending all assassins flying backwards as Laxus appeared, jaw tight with anger as he rolled back his sleeves. "I hear you've been hurting someone I care about." He announced, facing my father with cold, dead eyes. "You must be her old man. Sorry, but even if you're family, I'm not going to go easy on the one who caused her pain." Laxus…I was so happy to see him. I wanted to crawl over to him and let him hold me in his arms where I'd feel safe, however Carla was blocking my way.

"Don't even think about moving you silly woman, you're lucky to be alive!" She scolded me and I couldn't help but smile weakly up at her.

"I…missed…you…" I whispered before finally, everything went black.


	44. Chapter 44

Someone familiar was holding me, the sensation of tingling shocks travelling up and down my spine as I slowly opened my eyes to see Laxus gazing down at me. He looked as if a wild beast had chewed him up and spat him back out. He was beaten and grazed, severely injured even, however he ignored everything as he continued to support my upper body in his arms, one hand rising to brush back my hair. "Hey." He murmured, completely forgetting that there were others present, watching us.

"Hey." I answered back, relief flooding through me as I took a moment to adjust. I still hurt all over but as I flexed my fingers, I realised that I could move my body again. "What happened? How did you find us?"

"The cowards fled from battle with the utmost of dishonour." Erza announced and I looked towards her. She was leaning on her sword dependently, clutching her side. Everyone looked so beaten and frail, it must have been a tough battle. "They were a little too strong for us to handle without one another's support. That demon cut through all my attacks like it was nothing."

"Yeah and that weird old dude never even bat an eyelid, even when I threw everything I had at him." Natsu complained before he grinned at me. "Besides, di you forget Fae? We dragon slayers of got great noses, it just took us a while to follow you and find out where you were hiding. Sorry for making you wait!" He cheered and I managed a small smile before I looked around, searching until my eyes fell on Gajeel who was holding an unconscious Levy in his arms, Lily standing next to him with eyes full of worry.

"She's alright." I whispered, still hardly able to talk though as I attempted to sit up, my back instantly flared up with pain and Wendy quickly told me to take it easy. "She's not hurt, Gajeel…she's just unconscious." I murmured, trying to reassure him. "I didn't let them hurt her…she'll be fine…and the baby…nothing touched her…"

"Calm down, save your strength." Laxus chided but I was desperate to try and reassure Gajeel who looked as if his entire world was crashing down around him. Wendy glanced over to Levy, unsure of what to do so I reached out and took her hand.

"Please, go back with them. Look after Levy, ask Mest to erase her memories of here…she…she saw things…things that will haunt her. Please…please do this…"

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her." Wendy assured me with a warm smile, reaching out and taking my hand. "But you need to rest too, you're still heavily injured and shouldn't do anything too strenuous for a while." She informed me however I knew very well that rest was not on my agenda. I have to go after my father and Solas, I cannot allow them to escape.

"So what are we going to do with these punks anyway?" Gray asked as he stood shirtless but gestured to three forms which lay unconscious on the ground. My brothers, they were tightly bound up and Lucy was guarding over them, making sure that not one of them made a single move. "Can't we just throw them in the dungeons and leave them to rot?"

"No, we should take them to the Council. They'll need to face trial for all that they have done." Erza answered, electing to stand and forced herself to her feet. "I shall take them. Gray, Juvia, you will come with me." They both agreed, Juvia snuggling up to Gray happily.

"So long as we are together, our love shall defeat any enemy that stands in our way to true happiness!" He groaned slightly but did not push her away. As they spoke, however I was already trying to push myself up onto my feet but Laxus restrained me, keeping me laying down to rest.

"You're not going anywhere."

"But my father and Solas, I have to stop them."

"No offence Fae but if you couldn't stop them earlier then what's to say that you can do it on a second attempt?" Natsu reasoned, looking down at me with a frown. "Besides, what's the harm? Forget about them already!"

"No, you don't understand. He's going to raise the most ultimate of evils." I tried to explain to them, turning over so that I was laying on my side, looking at them all pleadingly. "He's going to try and raise Satan back into this world. I don't know how or what exactly his plan is, but I must go after them! They are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free, I must stop them!"

"Fae, you are in no shape to do anything of the sort." Carla announced, however Happy was panicking.

"You mean that freaky bird lady and the scary dude are going to end the world? That's totally insane!" He freaked so Lucy told him to shut his trap and quit being a baby. Clenching my fist I finally managed to stand, forcing my body to work as Laxus stood with me, one hand held out ready to catch me but I refused to fall.

"I was weak before, but now things are different. I refuse to be beaten, not this time." I informed them determinedly, power beginning to surge deep within me. "This time, I will not hold back for fear of hurting someone else. I'll defeat them, I'll send them to their graves." Everyone around me glanced between one another, unsure before finally, Gray smiled.

"Well if that's how you feel then we're with you all the way." He announced and I blinked in surprise.

"You…you want to help me?" I questioned, hand rising to grip my arm where my guild mark lay. "Even after all that you've been through, you'd go back into a battle just for me?"

"Of course we would Fae, you're family." Lucy answered simply, giving me a wide smile as she stood beside Natsu. "And we love you, we'll stand with you against any danger no matter the odds. I believe that as long as we have faith in each other, we'll never lose!"

"Yeah! You said it Lucy. We're all members of Fairy Tail, which means there ain't anybody alive who can take us on and beat us. They just got lucky this time round, wait until we hit round two!" He cheered and instantly everyone was chattering with determination, reassuring me with words of resolve and insisting that we would always be together until the very end. Tears pricked at my eyes and I pressed a hand over my mouth, feeling them flow as a warmth spread through my chest even as Laxus placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You guys…I love you all. So much." I whispered, unable to tell them the true depths of my feelings for them.

"Please don't cry Fae, this isn't the time to be sad! We've got to figure out where those creeps went!" Happy reminded me so I forced myself to get back control, nodding my head in agreement. Happy is right, we must plan our next step.

"So…any ideas on how to find them?" Gray questioned however I was already moving towards my brothers. I limped slightly and every step was torture, but I'd been worse before so I merely ignored it, reaching down for Yasha and turned him over.

"Wake up." I commanded, my voice slowly gaining back its strength as I then buried him into the ground. "Now!" Yasha's eyes flew open and I towered over him, my expression unforgiving and unwavering. He balked slightly, trying to shift backwards however his bonds kept him from escaping me. "Tell me everything that you know immediately or I shall melt your organs whilst they are still inside you." Terror flashed across his face, glancing to his two brothers before finally he exhaled.

"Father intends to resurrect the banished Dark Lord, Satan. To do this, he requires a sacrifice." Yasha began and everyone listened carefully as he nodded towards Levy. "He was going to use her child as a vessel to host the Dark Lord's soul and use her as the offering to open a portal to the underworld. That's only the beginning." Gajeel growled darkly, protectively holding Levy closer to him with one arm wrapped over her stomach to protect his child also. "He's been gathering dark energy from the continent for years, even before you left us."

"Dark energy? What is that?" I demanded to know, wanting to learn everything I could.

"You think it a coincident all the things that happened up until your battle against Alvarez?" Yasha questioned, eyes narrowing darkly up at me. "The demons from the Book of Zeref, E.N.D, Acnologia, Face, Lullaby, the Infinity Clock…absolutely everything that your guild has ever faced has had a negative impact upon the continent. Misery, pain, grief, suffering…all these things in the magical world generate what is called dark energy. It is the opposite to ethernano, it is what gives things like demons their destructive power. The greater the power they wield, the more dark energy is released. Father has been collecting it for over thirty years and, ever since Alvarez and Acnologia, he has finally attained enough to release it back into the world, to create a Garden of Hell."

"Garden of…impossible." I murmured, frowning slightly in thought before turning back to my brother, stepping forwards and anchoring my foot to his chest. "Explain further." He grit his teeth, laying back completely before slowly resuming his explanation.

"He'll…he'll be at the place where it all began. Where the first battle was fought against one white angel and one of black. The sacred mountain, Zonia." My eyes widened. Of course, it made sense. I had always dismissed that story as one of myth as it never held any factual evidence behind it, however perhaps I had been wrong in my assumption. It would not be the first time. "You can't stop him, little sister. He is the most powerful wizard to ever exist. He sold his soul to the devil in order to attain invulnerability. There's not a person alive who can stand against him and survive, let alone the fallen angel."

"Do not concern yourself with whether or not I will be able to defeat them. Just tell me what my father's plan is." I ordered him, pressing my foot further into his chest and he struggled for a moment, trying to lessen the pressure but I did not shift so he resigned to simply answering.

"He has gathered all the dark energy he could muster. He'll release it from the mountain and it will cause nightmares to come alive. People will relive their worst moments, feel all the pain and fear they have ever felt all rolled into one moment. The more suffering people endure, the closer the realm of the underworld will merge and Lord Satan will be able to step through. I don't know any more, I swear…" Sensing no lie I nodded my head then stepped away, allowing him to breathe again.

"We must act swiftly." I announced, throwing my hand out to Gajeel. "Take Levy back to the guild. Wendy, you should go with them to make sure there is nothing wrong. Please, take good care of her."

"Right. Come on Carla, we should hurry!" Wendy nodded to her best friend and the two of them flew off into the skies as Gajeel gathered Levy close, Pantherlily lifting them both up into the air.

"Hang tight shrimp, it's gonna be okay." Gajeel murmured to her lovingly before they too disappeared.

"Erza, you'll find magic restraints down in the dungeons." I informed her before turning around to glare darkly at my brothers. "Make sure they are thrown away where I will never have to look upon them again."

"Understood." Erza agreed, shooting my brothers a warning look before she disappeared to fetch the restraints.

"Everyone else…" I stopped, turning around to look. They all smiled and nodded to me, so I softly exhaled. "I won't ask you to stand with me if it is against your will, but if there ever were a time that I needed you, it would be now. I'm going to Mount Zonia to try and stop my father before he destroys the world, but no one has to come with me."

"We ain't going anywhere." Natsu stated firmly. "It's time to pay back all the times you saved our necks, so let's going and kick some butt!"

"Aye!" Everyone cheered and I smiled at them with love before I nodded my head.

"Then make you way to Mount Zonia as quickly as possible. We have no time to lose." Standing back I summoned my ethereal white wings with the dancing flames, taking a breath as everyone else scuttled to get ready, Happy grabbing onto Natsu who had captured Lucy around the waist, grinning rather idiotically as she wailed and struggled, threatening to kill them both if they drop her. A hand touched my shoulder I turned to see Laxus standing next to me.

He reached out and brushed the back of his hand against my cheek, expression soft and inviting. "I'll go get reinforcements, we'll probably need them." He said and I nodded my head in agreement, leaning into his touch as his presence soothed my rattled nerves. "Take care of yourself until I get there."

"I'll be careful." I promised him. Laxus nodded his head approvingly then leaned down to press his forehead against mine, sharing in one another's presence before he slowly pulled away. We parted from one another, however as I lifted myself off the ground, we shared one last glance before I flew away and headed north, my stomach churning with worry but as Natsu, Lucy and Happy fell in behind me, I felt myself settle and I turned to face forwards, a slow smirk touching my face.


	45. Chapter 45

The mountain was very cold and it was constantly snowing, however I brushed aside the chill to continue forwards. I went to the highest peak, theorising that that would be the logical place my father would go and sure enough I sensed his presence close by. Happy struggled against the wind whilst carrying both Lucy and Natsu, however when a strong wind suddenly blasted them away I saw them being carried off to a different mountain. "Guys!" I squeaked, stretching out a hand to go after them however a shadow fell across my vision.

"Hello little Faerie." Without warning a fist pummelled into my gut, winding me heavily and I choked as blood flew from my mouth. Solas. Of course she'd come looking for me. "You are just in time, darling. We were _so_ looking forward to offering you up to the Dark Lord as a snack, but your timing is rather awful!" She cackled as I recovered, still standing though I gripped my stomach as I wracked the breath into my body.

"I have no intention of being a starter for some demon of the underworld. I am here to put you both in your grave, so tell me." My eyes narrowed darkly, flashing brightly as the snow whipped through my ebony locks with effortless grace. "Where is my father?"

"Oh, he's about somewhere." Solas answered, smirking with sharp canines as she stretched out her claws and lowered her weight. "But believe me, _he_ is the least of your worries." I frowned at her curious warning before all at once, I felt the ground begin to tremble. I struggled to stand upright, wavering in place as the vibrations raced up my entire body until I heard the mountain itself crack open and a black mass spiralled outward at its heart.

Pitiful wails rang in my ears and my eyes widened in horror as demons of all natures began to crawl free, dragging themselves from their prison and began to shape themselves into crooked yet towering figures of black matter, a huge acidic green eye melted into their face as their leathery skin stretched over bone and muscle. "Beautiful, are they not?" Solas mused as she watched the demons begin to filter into the world, dark clouds of black thundering overhead as the snow continued to fall, however as the matter began to infect the earth itself, the snow turned from pure white to ashen grey before finally becoming as black as pitch.

"What have you done?!" I demanded angrily, rounding on the she-demon who cackled.

"Oh nothing much, simply released all the dark matter of every evil this world has ever witnessed in one go. Your father, as much as he disgusts me, is a very clever man and a loyal subject to my King of Shadows. Don't worry, His Maliciousness will come to know of your pitiful demise, I shall crow about it from now until the end of time!" She lunged for me, claws outstretched so I moved quickly, darting to the side and sprung upwards to keep balanced.

Those things cannot be allowed to reach the settlements, they'll cause everyone to go mad with fear and there will be no reversing that. "Come here you little brat, come and die already!" Solas screeched, flapping her huge wings and soared over me, ready to dive down like a bird of prey to capture me but I refused to be beaten so easily.

I twirled around, hands moving in flowing movements as my wings appeared of blazing white flames and I smacked one of my wings against her, sending her flying into the mountain which rumbled from the impact. Her furious screech joined that of the sickening wails of the demons still emerging from the confined dark matter. I must find the source and destroy it, it must be at the very peak of the mountain.

Turning I made to try and reach the point where I could sense the amassing powers of darkness however Solas cut in front of me, hissing sharply as her hands held a powerful ball of shadows and purple streaks between her claws. "Sin of Wrath." She spoke before blasting it against me at close range. I barely had time to fold my wings around me to shield myself, however the attack still did considerable damage and I felt the burning after effect as it heightened my sense of rage almost to the point of blindness.

I'll tear her to pieces, I'll break her in half, I'll melt that sickening smirk off her face, I'll crush her into the mountainside and smear her remains across the ground, I'll…

Forcing myself to regain my senses I grit my teeth. "You'll have to do better than that." I told her as I brushed off the attack, pretending that it hadn't even made a scratch. Solas growled darkly at me, reptilian red eyes narrowing sharply.

" _Fine_ , then I'll show you what real power entails!" She flew up a little higher, darkness continuing to spread further and further into the world as soft whispers of pain and misery began to filter into my mind but I shook them off. "Sin Eternal, Everlasting Suffering!" Her giant wings began to radiate with a pungent odour and snaking trails of smoke filtered from the malting feathers as seven orbs appeared over her head, each one a different colour on a dark spectrum before all at once, they blasted a beam of massive magical power straight at me.

"Fae watch out!" I suddenly heard Lucy yell as she and the others came rushing towards us. It's now or never, no holding back! Closing my eyes I spread my arms, allowing my magical power to soar as I summoned one of my most powerful forms, newly developed and harnessed over the past year. A barrier appeared around me at my summoning, shielding me from the powerful attack although it rocked the entire mountain, blasting away rock and stone around me and even the barrier cracked a little under its power. If that had hit me, it would have been game over.

Residue smoke surrounded me as I dropped the barrier, cutting off my field of vision however as I spread my wings and walked forwards, I was able to see better as I stepped out of the crater. "Impressive, but sadly still lacking." I mused as I felt power pound through my body. It was exhilarating and the rush was making me feel euphoric and slightly lightheaded. Solas's eyes widened in shock, staring at me as I smirked. "You'll have to do better."

"No way…" I heard Natsu whisper as Lucy and Happy both stared.

"That's incredible, when did…?" I turned my head towards them, giving them a toothy smile. Jet black wings with blue markings spread wide, my black hair which was usually silky and luxurious was thick and shaggy, framing my face in thick locks as more pale blue markings marked my skin and face. My body was encased in harder than diamond scales, dragon scales. They ran down the side of my body, covering my breasts and lower body, melting into the skin as I took a deep breath, opening a hand to see large dragon claws.

"Angel Soul. _Dragon_ King." I murmured before chuckling. "Let's see you adapt to this, Solas." Quickly I was up in the air and directly in front of her, a thundering echo of my powerful spring answering a few seconds later as, with a clenched fist, I punched her with all my might and sent her flying into the next mountain, taking off the tip from the power. "Lucy, Natsu, Happy, you have to take care of those demons. You cannot allow them to merge with anything as they'll corrupt all they touch. Happy, get Erza, Gray and Juvia here as fast as you can." I ordered, eyes never once shifting from Solas as she flung the rocks that had collapsed onto her away, releasing more of her power in order to level with me. "Especially Gray, we'll need his Devil Slayer magic."

"Aye!" Happy called and quickly flew off to get them as Natsu and Lucy smirked.

"You take care of that weird winged lady and we'll take care of the rest!" Lucy assured me. "Open! Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!" She dived straight into the battle as Natsu gave a wild cheer, opening up with his signature Fire Dragon Roar. Smirking to myself, I turned back to face Solas.

"You will suffer…anguish…pain…disease…agony…" She rasped, chest heaving before she gave a rabid screech and flew at me. I answered her challenge and lifted up into the skies, the wings of Acnologia carrying me swift and strong. Ever since I'd absorbed that attack a year ago, part of his power had remained with me. It was easily my most powerful form as Acnologia had been a force of nature, almost unstoppable.

Both of us curled our fists and punched forwards, aiming to strike the other down however when our knuckles connected, the vibrations rocketed up our arms and the responding force wave shook the air for miles about us, the black snow being blasted away. I have little time for this, I must finish quickly.

Solas whipped out her tail and it lashed around my neck, strangling me as she then flung me against a mountain but the moment she let me go I managed to twist around, flapping my wings and soared directly upwards. I led her in a chase, banking left and right as she flung attack after attack at me, screaming in frustration as I avoided each one, sensing the movement of the air in order to move out of the way. "I'll flay you alive!" She bellowed after me as the air became thinner and we rose higher than I'd ever dared fly before. "I'll feast on your flesh and bones!"

"You'll have to catch me first." I answered back coldly before turning around, wings spread wide as I then spread my hands, summoning my magic towards me and took a deep breath. "Eternal Flare!" Instantly the stars in the sky intensified, golden orbs appearing across the entire sky. Solas stopped in the air, eyes widening in horror as bright golden light filled her red orbs before all at once, the attack shot down to the ground with a blinding rush. The attack was perfect, it gave Solas no room to manoeuvre out of the way so she was struck, tossing her from the sky as she wailed and I descended after her, watching as we passed back through the black clouds and I saw that the Eternal Flare was effectively taking out scores and scores of the demons.

By this point, Erza and the others had arrived and they were valiantly holding off the armies of hell by themselves, taking them down with single blows with Gray taking down a multitude at a time. "No…no…no my beautiful darkness! His Eminences plan!" Solas screeched before hissing, baring her fangs. "I'll kill you all!" She dove down, grazed and rather dishevelled with the aim to attack my friends so I quickly rushed after her.

"I shall not let you!" I body tackled her, wrapping my arms firmly around her waist and together, we struck the ground. I did not release my hold on her even as she writhed, scratched and clawed at me, refusing to allow her anywhere near my beloved friends. "Your battle is with me, be courteous and finish it or simply surrender!"

"Never!" Her wild eyes bore into mine with pure hatred, her writhing like long tendrils of pure black. "I'll kill you!" Lifting my chin I turned my palms upwards, already ready to answer her challenge.

"Forgive my obstinacy, but I simply refuse to die." With that, our battle continued. Other than Eternal Flare, I had very little offensive magic to contend with as the power I had absorbed from Acnologia was predominantly dragon slayer magic, which despite me being able to absorb I could not utilise as I myself was not a dragon slayer. However, there were still a few tricks up my sleeve that I could yet use.

"Sin of Envy!" Solas screeched at me, sending her attack directly at me but I merely smirked, remaining hovering in the air before I folded my wings around me and began to spin. A rush of air built around me like a cyclone, blocking the attack completely as it rebounded off my dragon scaled body and wings, sending it flying back to Solas however she merely consumed her own attack, further escalating her destructive power. "You BITCH!"

"Language." I tittered condescendingly, sweeping away the air elegantly before I raised a hand over my head, gathering a mass of energy there. "Allow me to demonstrate how it is properly done." Solas did not take kindly to being tormented and flew straight for me, yes burning brilliantly like a wild flame however as the orb of silvery blue grew larger, I allowed her to come to me. "Dragon's Wrath!" Flinging the orb forwards Solas smartly dodged it, however when it struck the mountain side it exploded with a massive roar, blooming into the shape of a dragon's silhouette which snapped its jaws down on Solas, making her scream as I dove down to face her again. "Infinity Incarnate, Freeze!"

A clap of my hands send a boom of light outward and the entire battlefield froze, my magical ability freezing all enemies on sight and the others blinked in surprise as the demons froze in place, unable to move but took the opportunity to cut them down before time started to move forwards again. I could only hold time still for a few moments otherwise the balance of the world would be distorted, I must make the most of this.

Grasping Solas I struck her further away from where my friends were fighting, her face frozen with an expression of horror from withstanding such a powerful attack. My fists were faster than a blur, striking her again and again until time resumed its pace and suddenly, Solas started moving again. She cried out, feeling the pain of my blows all at once and her body was severely injured from my blows, the final one knocking her straight to the ground where the black snow rippled around her, flakes lifting back into the air before slowly descending around her.

"You'll never win…I am an immortal being! You cannot defeat me." She hissed at me, struggling to move. "I…I cannot lose…I am older than the world! I am…I am…I AM A GREAT FALLEN ANGEL! YOU CANNOT BEAT ME, FILTH!"

"Oh hush." I chided, already sick of hearing her scream and throw a tantrum. "It is honestly the greatest of joys to not have you inside my head anymore." I said to her as I approached, tucking my wings away and gliding over the black snow. "My head feels so free and light, my body is no longer weighed down by having to carry you about with me, it is extremely liberating." Her eyes narrowed, glaring at me hotly.

"You'll suffer…I'll make sure…when my strength returns…you will die!" I stood over her, hair wafting softly on the breeze with a hard and unforgiving gaze. "It is strange, you look so much like her…" She spoke after a moment, grimacing slightly. "She was as insufferable as you are…it is no wonder…"

"What do you speak of?" Solas just smirked.

"You'll know soon enough. By any means, you are too late." My eyes narrowed further in warning, however before I could interrogate her further, the ground began to tremble. At first it was soft and unassuming, I thought perhaps that Natsu had simply gone overboard with an attack, however when the quaking intensified I realised that it was coming directly from the mountain itself. Spinning around I watched in horror as rocks fell away, the very tip of Mount Zonia collapsing to reveal a huge black crystal which rose upwards and into the air, my father standing beneath it as the mountain crumbled away to reveal a smooth ground surface with a circle of inscriptions surrounding the edge, a large pedestal upon which he stood, chanting up to the sky where the crystal began to glow.

"No!" I tried to move forwards however Solas whipped out her tail and lashed it around my throat, dragging me back and down once more as she then took off, malting feathers trailing behind her. The whip like tail tightened about my neck and I clawed at it as she forcibly flew me to the alter, my eyes widening as she cried out to the crystal which had started to spiral, becoming round like a disk with dark matter swirling into the vortex it created.

"My Lord! Greatest Maliciousness, heed the words of your loyal subject, I bid thee enter this wretched realm and recreate it in your glorious image!" Whipping her tail down I was slammed into the smooth stones and I gasped for air as the pressure was relieved from my neck. I have been choked too many times today, I will not suffer it again. "Take this enemy as an offering, bathe in her blood and join us, free yourself from your eternal imprisonment!"

Dark chains snaked their way downwards towards me but I struggled against my captor, hissing and snarling viciously as Solas restrained me. She had me in a powerful headlock, threatening to crush my skull if I dared to attempt an escape to freedom. The chains inched closer, a distant howling and wailing ringing in my ears as instinctive fear coursed through my veins. There was nothing I could do to supress it, when I looked up into that void, it seemed to cloak you with all the negative emotions you had ever faced.

The chains reached us and I felt them brush against my skin, making me gulp slightly as a blazing heat and a freezing chill touched me both at the same time. Suddenly they snapped tight, making me flinch however when I felt no pressure, I realised that they had bypassed me completely. "Huh?" Solas blinked in surprised confusion, looking down at the chains that had trapped her arms to her waist before without warning, they ripped her up into the sky. "No! Noooo, you can't do this! I am your loyal servant! Take the girl, she is nothing to you! MASTER!" I stared up in horror as she was dragged into the underworld and her body began to disintegrate, crumbling away into ashes until there was nothing left of her, all that remained was the echo of her scream. He'd sacrificed his own comrade…it disgusted me.

My Dragon King form faded away, leaving me kneeling in my ripped blouse and skirt, my body severely grazed and beaten however I had no time to even worry about my condition as the void began to expand, a deep wail rising from its core as a blast of light struck the ground upon which I knelt. I cried out, throwing up my arms to shield my eyes as my father became consumed, disappearing into the light as it rained down upon him, a loud roar filling my ears as I felt an overwhelming presence take root.

It seemed to swallow the sky and the world below, filling me with dread as the light died away and I dared myself to look. The figure stood tall and proud, eyes closed as they spread their hands and flexed their fingers, tasting the freedom. It was still my father's face, however he looked so much younger than he had appeared just moments before. All lines and wrinkles were gone, his hair a deep midnight black still tied back into its high ponytail.

As I stared, my father opened his eyes to reveal them blazing amber with a ring of red around the pupil, staring down at me before his features hardened. His figure glowed slightly, brilliant and devastatingly beautiful. A true fallen angel. My father had given himself up to become the vessel for Satan himself. My father may not even be alive anymore, after all I could no longer sense his presence, all I could see was this stranger wearing my father's skin before me.

"So we meet again, Hesper." A wonderfully rich baritone voice spoke, somehow sending me into an awed state as I seemed to cower before this godly being. "It has been too long."


	46. Chapter 46

Still unable to tear my eyes away, Satan's smirk increased as his blazing eyes narrowed. I could not help but fear him, it was logical to be afraid of such a terrifying being, however as he spoke to me, it took a few moments for my mind to understand what he was saying as I heard a language that I initially did not recognise. He spoke in song, soft like a heavenly choir and the sound was angelic to my ears until I realised that I _could_ understand him.

"I am not Hesper. My name is Faerie." I managed to somehow stutter as I rose to my feet, overcome by his radiance but I forced myself to awaken, narrowing my eyes in hatred. "You are Satan." I accused and a deadly smirk curled upon his smooth lips, flawless skin refusing to crinkle at the expression.

"Yes, but please, call me Lucifer. You used to call out to me so sweetly all those millennia ago with that name." My eyebrow arched slightly, unsure to what he was referring until I remembered. The angel on the tapestries, the one that the others had said I resembled. Perhaps he is thinking of her, after all she had fought against this being as well as Solas before. Maybe he thinks I am her. Hesper. The name meant Evening Star and traditionally, Lucifer is meant to mean Morning Star, he was the bringer of light in ages long since past. Two opposites, were they once friends? "I see, you are not truly her. A pity, I should have liked to have battled her one last time before I smote her ruins upon this disgusting world."

"You shall do no such thing regardless. This world is not for the likes of you." I informed him, glaring as I found my courage. Lower down the mountain I could hear the others still struggling forwards, giving it everything they had to take down those lesser demons, but still even though they did not even hold a hundredth of the power that stood before me, they were giving my dear friends a run for their money and they were quickly losing energy. "And I shall keep you from it, even it if ends in my own destruction. I shall release all of the power I possess in order to stop you!" I pointed at him during my declaration, a rush of air swirling around me before a blast of rushing light bellowed out from me.

I lowered my stance, eyes narrowed in focus as I poured all of the magical power I had into releasing my only chance at stopping Lucifer. Wings sprouting from my back in celestial glory and I took a deep breath as I began to levitate off the ground, my body being engulfed with power as I felt myself surpass all magical boundaries I had ever crossed before. "Second Origin... _Release._ " At my words, my voice began to echo in a soft chant almost like a lullaby but more deafening than the pounding of a drum in your ear.

My wings stretched wide as four more appeared, giving me three sets with the largest in the middle and the smallest at the bottom, the other pair situated slightly behind and above my largest set and they all gleamed with effortless pure white and gold, shining with glory as I felt myself become clad in the lightest of materials, feet bare as the robe wrapped around my chest, over my shoulder and then down around my waist.

A crown settled upon my brow, pure gold with white gems that gleamed like moonstones, three orbs settled within the metalwork. A similar belt of solid gold sat low on my hips and I felt all the pains, aches and afflictions my body had sustained melt away, revealing flawless skin and my black hair trembled around my shoulders before with a rush, it became a river of pure white. Opening my eyes, I took a deep breath as I flexed my fingers, gracefully holding myself up in the air with a single beat of my massive wings. My amber eyes were far more intense, bright and luminous like molten metal with the heat of fire.

"Angel Soul…Holy Archangel…" I murmured, voice ringing softly yet it infiltrated the mind. I could hear the others down below, stopping to stare as I stood in the glory of the heavens, black snow returning to white in my presence as I erased all maladies by simply being stood in this form. Lifting my eyes I saw Lucifer smile softly, spreading his own wings of ebony black to lift himself up and meet me in the air.

"Now you look more like yourself, Hesper." He told me before lifting a hand, directing his palm towards me. "Over ten millennia ago we fought upon this mountain. Over ten millennia ago you betrayed our friendship and banished me to a realm which became hell. Here we fought, the white angel against the fallen black angel. Tell me, how does it feel knowing that all those centuries you fought were all for nothing?" He questioned me with a sickening tone and I drew myself up, all fear and cowardice now banished from my body as supremacy seemed to roar through my veins.

"I am _not_ Hesper. Therefore, the outcome will be very different. Instead of simply banishing you…" I opened a palm and flattened my fingers, a blade of light elongating itself into the shape of a sword. "…I will be utterly destroying you!" Lucifer gave a laugh of anticipation, summoning his own blade and it took shape with a wicked looking curve, black with hints of blood red as he held it in his palm with a secure grip.

"You have no hope, little human girl." He smirked before we flew straight upwards, both of us giving a battle yell and when our swords clashed, I felt the rebound practically shatter the bones in my arm. I did not falter, refusing to break off and I pushed back against Lucifer. He did not seem surprised by the fact that I could hold my own against his strength, however I suspected that he had been holding back.

I was right.

With a blur that was too fast for human reflexes to answer, another sword appeared in his hand and he sliced it down my front, tearing open a long line from my shoulder to my thigh and I cried out as it intensified the sensitivity of every nerve in my body to make me feel the optimum pain. I ripped backwards, light blasting out from the open wound before it slowly dwindled into a faint throb. Clutching at the injury tightly I turned a glare on Lucifer who only continued to smirk. "You used to be quicker. I am disappointed." His voice sung to me and I scowled slightly.

Not giving him the satisfaction of an answer, I flapped my wings to gain altitude, leading him away from the others. "You cannot run from me Hesper…it is too late for that now!"

"I am not Hesper!" I shouted back at him, rolling onto my back to then twist and come up to face him. "Light of Judgement!" My rage fuelled my magic, my wings becoming luminous as the air filled with pale sparkles, glittering softly like stars before my hand glowed bright hot like burning coals. Before Lucifer could pull back I captured him, one hand grasping his shoulder as my glowing hand slammed against his chest, making him gasp as an imprint remained of my hand, bright white.

Lucifer's eyes darkened dangerously, the red ring around his pupil growing at his anger as he reached out and struck me down with movements so fast that I did not even realise I had been hit until I was falling from the skies. My eyes widened, staring upwards before I opened my wings and tried to straighten myself but I hit the ground, rolling down the mountainside before I kicked myself off it and took back to the skies, heart hammering wildly in my chest.

The imprint I left upon Lucifer's chest was meant to leave him immobilised however I watched as he corrupted it with his own dark powers. Incredible, I did not even know such a thing was possible. How am I to compare to a heavenly being? I am just a human. Lucifer suddenly cut me off my path, forcing me to bank hard however his hiss sent a shiver down my spine. "Soul Corruption, Immortal Agony!" With a flash of fear I quickly banked around a mountain, shadows of ghoulish lost souls chasing after me as they wailed, stretching out their bony fingers after me.

"Purging Darkness, Banishment!" I answered desperately, turning and a rush of air blew from behind me, forcing the ghouls at bay and as blades of light streaked through the air it cut them into ribbons, sending them back to where they belong and I took a moment to breathe. I was being chased around like a hare trying to escape the hounds. This was not how I hoped things to go at all.

"Embodiment of Maladies, Deadly Demise." Lucifer suddenly appeared once more, striking me from behind and I cried out, back arching as I felt a sudden plague of sickness soar through me. My temperature burned, my stomach churned, my heartbeat started to slow to a painful pace, my lungs filled with a deadly poison. My bones ached, my muscles burned and everything at once seemed to hit me as I fell from the sky.

It was over so quickly…there truly is nothing I can do. I am hopeless. As I descended, falling from the skies in a blur of glowing white among white and black snow, I fell with a booming thud into the blankets of softness though it did very little to cushion the fall from such a high altitude. I lay staring upwards, my body quickly spiralling into pain and the promise of death loomed over the horizon as black wings filled my steadily blurring vision.

"Fear not…Hesper…I will no doubt see you again…descend from this body…release your soul and be with me again…" His voice whispered to me in a melodious song that seemed to beautiful to be real. So ethereal…yet I could not help but hate him for it. I was coughing and choking, blood and black bile oozing from my mouth as it dripped down my nose also. My skin began to grow grey and hard like marble, eyes fading in brightness as my body seemed to merge with the stone of the mountain, my soul beginning to pull away from my body. This isn't over, it cannot be the end. My friends…I must protect them.

Levy, Lucy, Wendy…everyone…I cannot fail them in this one task which was meant for me. I simply cannot fail to protect them! Someone please, help me. Show me the way. I do not know what I must do, help me!

"Please…" I whispered in utter desperation. Suddenly my eyes were blinded, whiteness swallowing me and I feared that death had claimed me, however when soft hands framed my face I blinked, opening them to see a face so perfect and flawless that I immediately felt inferior, despite the fact that it was almost identical to my own.

 _"Hearken and be not afraid, sweet one, thy life is not yet spent."_ She whispered and my eyes widened, staring up at her as silver hair flowed like a cloud around her shoulders. _"Thou art lost, child, be guided by the voice of thy heart."_ White flames danced upon her wings as a halo of heavenly light surrounded her, inspiring me with awe as she pressed a hand to my brow and suddenly I felt all pain ease away from my weary bones.

"Hesper." I recognised and she nodded her head, still smiling a smile full of love down at me.

 _"Thou carry the hopes of all that exist, even those most beloved to thy soul. Be not afraid and trust in heaven, thou art not alone, Faerie."_ Her words were so kind and compassionate that I felt tears of emotion rise to my face, openly gazing up at her in wonder as she pulled back, cupping her delicate hands to her chest. _"What thou hast forgotten…remember. Remember, sweet Faerie. Remember thy past, thy history and be not afraid."_

"Be not afraid…it was you. It was you all along." She nodded her head quickly, smile deepening and somehow it made her look even more beautiful. I remember now. The burning bush, the life she had shown me, _her_ life as an angel. How Lucifer and a third of the host of heaven had fallen from grace, how she had gone after them to try and quell the fighting however she had not been strong enough to destroy the one who had in the past been a friend so instead she had sealed him and his armies away in the underworld. "But I am only human. I cannot defeat him, he's too strong!"

 _"Nay, my love, thou art much more. Who art thou, Faerie? As thyself, who art thou?"_ Hesper was beginning to disappear, ascending back into the heavenly clouds where I could hear the hosts of angels singing their enchanting laments, voices so divine that I wanted nothing more than to join them.

"No wait! Please don't leave me, I can't do this alone!" I pleaded but she continued to ascend, leaving me alone. "Please, is my mother there? Is she in heaven too? Please answer me!" I begged desperately. Why had my mother not come too? Surely she would have come to help me, or offer me words of comfort. I felt a pang of loss and momentary grief as her hand which was still stretched down towards me was swallowed into the warmth of heaven, disappearing and with a rush, I fell back down to earth.

Rasping a deep breath into my body I jerked, eyes flying wide open and instantly, the pain of disease and death struck me. I cried out in agony, however as my body started to resume its halo of glowing warmth, the diseases of the skin, lungs, heart and mind all began to fade away, eased by the natural immunity that my body had been given from the angels above. No, from Hesper. I could still feel the touch of her gentle hand upon my brow and her words remained with me.

Who am I? it was a very deep and philosophical question that held numerous answers, however I believe it is more simple than that. I am Faerie Sora Haruki, proud member of Fairy Tail, and Fairy Tail never back down or give in. we surrender to no one and we protect those we love. I am Fae. The Feathered Fairy, and my battle is only just begun.

Rising to my feet I flicked the snow from my body, turning to see Lucifer standing at the peak of the mountain, observing his minions as they began to wreak havoc and despair into the world. "Lucifer!" I challenged and he quickly spun around, staring at me in shock as I flapped my wings and rose up so that we were at eye level. "This is not over."

"You were dead! No human can survive that curse, it is impossible!" He fumed, eyes growing red with rage once more as I lifted my chin, white hair shining as my fingers began to tingle with might.

"I am not an ordinary human." I answered him, spreading my hands a little wider. "I am a _wizard_." The air began to tremble, thunder rolling up above as the ground also began to feel the effects of the distortion of magic and dimensions, my eyes fixated upon my opponent. "Years ago, your closest friend Hesper fought you on this mountain but, because her love for you was so great, she could not bear to destroy you even as you lay broken and defeated at her feet." I began to narrate, Lucifer stumbling slightly as his mountain peak cracked and began to collapse.

"Stop this." He ordered, genuine fear beginning to resonate in his lyrical voice.

"Unable to destroy you, she sealed you and all of your minions, even your closest ally Solas, in a world separate from our own so that you may never cause direct harm to us again, though you worked your way through and continued to plague us however you could. You brought sickness. Sin. Death. You made us humans feel your wrath in whatever small way you could, toying with our lives just for entertainment." Lightning struck each of the mountain peaks, flashing repeatedly in the sky and seemingly split it in two as my wings beat the air softly, holding me aloft. "You waited and waited, planning your return."

"Enough!" He roared and desperately through a magical attack at me however I easily lifted a barrier around myself and it did not even phase me, disappearing almost instantly as I continued to speak.

"You sent your servant Solas to our realm with the last of your power, encasing her in a lacrima crystal which eventually, my ancestors found. It did not begin with my father, did it?" By now Lucifer was livid, dark veins appearing on his previously flawless skin as he began to lose control. All at once he roared, throwing out his arms and tearing back his head as his form began to change.

His skin became leathery and dull, huge twisted horns sprouting from his brow as his nails lengthened into claws, wings becoming broken, crippled and mangled from his fall from grace. The demon that stood before me was terrifying but I was not afraid. Be not afraid. Hesper's words comforted me even now as I lifted a hand then sliced it downwards at Lucifer, eyes never once flinching. "Chains of Retribution, Everlasting Lock." Glowing golden white chains exploded from the ground, wrapping themselves around Lucifer's arms, body and legs to hold him down, dragging him back until he was fully restrained upon the mountainside, held as if he had been nailed to a cross.

"Now that you are paying attention, I shall continue." My voice thrummed peacefully, my body for once perfectly at ease as the angelic language of song easily flowed from my lips. "My ancestor, perhaps over two thousand years ago, found the lacrima crystal and from there, Solas corrupted our family line. That is how the men became so twisted and evil, she poisoned them one by one, however the only way she was able to recover her own energy was by stealing it from others. Men could not carry the lacrima as they could not fuse, women on the other hand…" My eyes darkened with rage. "The women of my family ancestors carried her one after other and she drained the life from them until my mother was forced to become the vessel."

Lucifer seethed and tried to break free however the chains held him down, burning into his skin every time he moved so he was forced to become still, panting for breath as his eyes of fire locked on me with a promise of eternal loathing. I did not care. I wanted him to hate me. "My father, a direct descendant, was poisoned by her whisperings since childhood. He became determined to be the one whom would set you free, he longed for it and so when my mother, who was a descendent from the female line and therefore inherited Angel Soul, became the carrier, he forced her into marriage."

I wanted to strike him, I wanted him to suffer an eternal agony for what he had done, however my better judgement knew that this would only make me the same as him, so I stayed my hand for the time being. "She had children. My three brothers and myself. When…when my mother died, the lacrima crystal was transferred to me and I became the heir to our disgusting inheritance. All the while, she corrupted my brothers without me even knowing. She could speak to them, haunt them, give them nightmares night after night until they were as dark and tainted as my father."

"You expect an apology? I have been in literal hell for over ten thousand years!" Lucifer roared at me, tugging at the chains but they held him down. "This world does not deserve joy, or happiness or that sickening emotion called _love_. It deserves to become rotten and crushed like a bad apple. Do you deny the sin of this world? I had such plans for it…everyone would obey _me_." Lucifer continued, hissing as his demon eyes glowered heatedly at me. "I would ensure that everything was perfect, that no one would defile the world that I would have created!"

"But no one would be free." I responded bluntly. "And no one wants a world where choices and free agency is taken from us. We are not yours to control, neither are we any god's. What we do with our lives should be of our own design, and if we choose wrong, then that it upon our own heads." Lifting my head high I drew back my shoulders. "I will hate you for eternity for what you did to my family. To my mother and brothers. I am glad I ran away when I did as I stopped them from being completely taken over by that she-devil. Although I was the last carrier, I will ensure that neither you, nor her, or any other foul creature from the underworld will ever step foot upon this realm again." His eyes darkened, challenging me.

"You cannot kill me. Evil cannot be destroyed. I will merely return to Hell and take a different form. There is no way to forever banish darkness, it will throw everything out of balance!"

"True." I nodded my head in acceptance before a small smile touched my lips. "But I can take exceedingly great pleasure in having the honour of banishing you back to that hole of misery and woe all to myself." Throwing out a hand, the world seemed to slow as I opened my mouth and began to sing, my voice carrying higher and higher until everyone for miles around could hear my enchanting melody.

 _"Gates of Heaven open thy divine glory, I call upon the Hosts of the Three Spheres to answer my call. Descend down from the heavens and smite that which is evil and impure. I call upon the four most Holy Archangels of the Four Winds. Gabriel of the North. Michael of the East. Uriel of the South and Raphael of the West."_

Pillars of heavenly white descended in blazing glory from above, the black clouds peeling away to reveal a world of white above, golden beams opening to reveal giant golden gates high above, decorated in pearl and ivory. Hosts of angels joined my song, filling the air with a power that made even the strongest of men tremble and Lucifer stared in horror as the light fixated on him. I could feel the presence of heavenly bodies close to me though they were impossible to look at as they were so divine that all you could see was a small flash of a wing and perhaps a flutter of a deific cloak out of the corner of your eye.

 _"Join thy might and be my guide to fight against that which would bring pain to the innocent. Let thy celestial love shine forth and thy strength give me courage to destroy all wickedness that plagues the land. May the holy choirs of the angels purge the world of Hell's touch and remove the minions of darkness from this realm of peace."_

Intense heavenly beings descended from the gates, shooting like stars across the land to destroy the armies of Hell, burning them to ash with a single slice of their celestial blades. They flew across the land, removing all evil as I lift my hands higher, sensing the four Archangels forming a circle around me as I tilted my head backwards, feeling the overflowing power that seared my very soul.

 _"Whereupon I gaze and see enemies, may the hosts of heaven bless me with the power to eradicate those whom I oppose. The Seraphim. The Cherubim and the Thrones of the First Sphere. The Dominions. The Virtues and the Powers of the Second Sphere. The Principalities and the Archangels of the Third Sphere. May thy light radiantly shine divinely retribution upon my enemies."_

With a final breath I opened my eyes, locking onto Lucifer's terrified gaze as a rush of energy finally blasted from me in a huge arc that swallowed the entire continent and further, rushing across the atmosphere in a blaze of cosmic power that purged the entire world.

 _"Holy Archangel…Pillar of Judgement!"_

The boom was strangely silent, the entire world going perfectly still as the gentle light traced across the atmosphere, the hosts of angels still singing however as the final blow fell, all I could hear was Lucifer's agonised cries and bellows as he writhed against the chains, light consuming him. His body started to turn to stone, the molten fire that glowed at the back of his throat disappearing as he began to crumble under the weight of my judgement. This kind of spell was a very last resort kind of thing, if the spell did not find you or the opponent worthy then it would not work, however when faced against darkness incarnate, there was no doubt in my mind that my spell would not succeed. Hesper had gifted it to me, after all, locked it away so that when the time was right could I use it.

"Thank you." I whispered softly as the light began to recede, returning to the heavens and as I watched, Lucifer's remains were drawn back into the portal along with his armies, their desperate please and wails falling upon deaf ears as I descended gracefully back to the ground, standing upon the peak of Mount Zonia with my six wings held aloft, watching as the last demon was drawn away and the portal closed, the crystal cracking until finally, it exploded into a raining shower of dust.

Lifting a hand I captured a few specks in my palm, watching as they glittered before I cast them upon the wind, allowing them to fly free as finally, I felt a euphoric sensation of relief and peace wash over me. It was done. It was all over. My father was gone, he could no longer hurt me as he had bonded with Lucifer to the point of no return. I will pray for his soul, but other than that, I shall feel no grief or remorse.

Slowly I became aware of a presence behind me so I turned, frowning in confusion but when I saw a familiar stranger, I felt my heart stop in my chest. She was as beautiful as I remembered, golden hair and loving blue eyes, she even still smelled of vanilla. All words caught in my throat as I stared at her smile, the one she had always worn when near me, always soft and inviting, always someone I would run to when I was in pain or frightened. My own Guardian Angel.

"Mother." I whispered, my wings trembling. All six of them. "Mother…" She reached out to me, opening her arms and without hesitation I flew into them. Her body was opaque, not physical but still I could hold onto her, my eyes filling with tears as her arms curled around me and I began to sob, a thousand emotions flooding me all at once as she stroked my hair.

 _"My beautiful Faerie, I am so proud of you."_ She whispered to me and I could not help but smile at her words, lifting my head to gaze at her. I was the same height as she was now, it was strange as I was always used to looking up at her. _"You are free now. Live your life without regrets, be happy with all you have accomplished as it is more than I could have ever dreamed for you."_

"Mother, please do not leave me again." I begged her, gripping onto her tightly but she only chuckled, kissing my cheek and resting her brow against mine as everyone else began to arrive, having climbed to the peak however when they saw me standing with someone, they all stopped and stared.

 _"But I am always here with you, my angel. Remember, be not afraid."_ She started to fade away and I desperately wanted to beg with whatever almighty power it took to keep her here, however as I opened my eyes and saw her adoring smile, I found myself relaxing. She was happy where she was, at peace. I had no right to demand that she remain here with me when she had found her amity elsewhere.

"Wait for me. On the other side." I decided to stay, drawing myself up to my full height, refusing to cry any further. My mother smiled again, overjoyed as she nodded her head, ascending upwards back into the celestial kingdom.

 _"I will my love. I shall wait for you and when we next meet, you can tell me all about your adventures with those you love..."_ Her voice gradually began to fade away, however I still heard every word as the sky finally closed, sealing our realms apart once more and I gave a long sigh, closing my eyes. with a flash my body returned to normal and my knees instantly buckled, exhausted and my injuries returned once more.

"Watch out!" Someone called however I knew someone would catch me. I trusted my friends even as I blacked out into unconsciousness, I felt several arms catch me from underneath, supporting my weight as more of our friends arrived from the guild, though I could tell one person in particular was close by. He stroked back my hair and carefully lay me down, remaining close by my side as Wendy hurriedly made to heal me, but I could no longer feel the pain.

I was too happy to be in pain.


	47. Chapter 47

For a while I feared that with the last of our enemies now defeated, we would never have an adventure again. I was glad to be very quickly proven wrong as I forgot just how vast and large the world was. There were plenty of challenges and adventures still waiting out there, however the most exciting were found right at home in the heart of Fairy Tail.

"You're going to be alright, Levy, I'm right here." I murmured softly as I sat next to her with one arm wound around her back, holding onto her hands as she squeezed my fingers almost to the point of breaking them, gasping and panting for breath as she tried to push her baby out from inside her. "You're doing wonderfully, just a little more." I encouraged.

"Fae…I'm exhausted…I can't…" Levy panted but I whispered soft nothings in her ear, offering her support and telling her that she was a spunky and strong independent woman and that she was more than capable of delivering a baby. I had faith in her. This seemed to give her the little push that she needed and within a few minutes later, her first child was born. It cried upon coming into contact with the cold air and the nurses immediately set to work, making sure it was healthy as Levy cried with joy. "I did it…I did it…I…OW!" She yelped then cried out again, making my head lift in alarm.

"What's happening?!" I demanded to know, eyes widening in fear however one of the nurses just looked at me cheerfully.

"Oh that'll just be the second one coming. Didn't you know you were carrying twins?" Both Levy and I stared at her before exclaiming loudly, shocked and astounded. Twins? Levy had been carrying twins all along?

"But it never showed up on the scans!" Levy yelped, still panting for breath.

"No, sometimes one of the twins hides behind the other and you can't see them on the scans. Oh well, never mind!" The nurse beamed happily then proceeded to help with the next delivery. Levy grit her teeth determinedly and I almost chuckled at her rather resolute expression. The first baby was brought over to me and Levy asked me to hold the child for a while, so I attentively took hold of the tiny bundle and instantly fell in love.

She was wrapped in a pink blanket, pink skinned and utterly beautiful, already with a tuft of blue hair on her head with a sweet button nose and the smallest hands I had ever seen. My throat tightened with emotion as I cuddled her, supporting her head on my arm. "Hello precious. It is so nice to finally meet you." I whispered before kneeling down, showing her to Levy who started crying.

"My girl, my little girl…" She whispered, stroking the sleeping child's face before another contraction took her. It was another few minutes before her son was born, a boy that wailed and screamed with the largest pair of lungs I'd ever heard so I jokingly said that he would take after his father. Levy was too exhausted to respond except with a smile, laying back to catch her breath before finally, her son was placed on her chest for some skin on skin.

I'd already unwrapped the girl and placed her against my own skin and she cuddled into me, snuggling close and it was the most wonderful feeling. "What are you going to name them?" I asked Levy softly as I perched on the side of the bed whilst the nurses all cleaned up. I know Lucy would have been sad to miss this, however she was out with Natsu and Happy on an important quest. She'll be overjoyed to come back to two surprises, though, most definitely.

"Well, since we'd decided to not find out the gender, we had a few picks for both a boy and a girl." Levy mused quietly, looking with wonder at her son. "So at least we're prepared." I chuckled at that, placing a hand on her shoulder as I heard heavy footsteps come thundering up the stairs.

"Levy! You alright Levy? Shrimp!" He was thundering, however when he barged into the room, practically throwing the door off its hinges, he stopped and stared. "Wait…what? Why're there two? Where'd you get the other one from?" He stuttered, staring in shock and I burst into a fit of giggles at his expression.

"They're twins you big dummy!" Levy retorted, however before Gajeel could respond, he fainted.

"Very helpful." Lily mused as he wandered it, shaking his head but quickly hopped up onto the bed, struggling to climb up so I lifted a foot, not wanting to let go of the baby, and helped him up so that he could sit close to the children where he stared in wonder. "They're so tiny, are they meant to be that small?"

"Well, according to what I've read it's expected that twins will come out a little smaller as they had to share space in the womb…" Levy began before launching into an entire lecture about twins, however I don't think Lily was listening. The baby boy had turned towards the fluffy exceed and had stretched out a hand and the small fingers had curled around his paw, gripping onto him. I don't think I have ever seen Lily cry before.

"I'm not crying!" He protested, probably guessing what I was thinking as I swayed with the baby girl.

"No one is judging you Pantherlily." I assured him, secretly smiling. Gajeel eventually came around, however when he clawed his way into a kneeling position, groaning, it suddenly hit him that he had not one but _two_ children. At once.

"I'm…I'm a daddy. I got kids. Two kids. Two…" He mumbled, staring into oblivion so with a roll of my eyes I grabbed him by the ear and dragged him up onto his feet.

"Let me make this simple for you, you giant metalhead." I said crassly, forcing him to sit down next to Levy whereby I then shifted his arms into the correct position, making sure that he'd hold the baby properly before I carefully set the girl down into his arms. He looked completely overwhelmed and a little uncomfortable, however after a few moments he relaxed and grinned down at her as she made a few gurgling sounds, smiling and reaching up for him, eyes still closed.

"Well aren't ya a little cutie, just like the shrimp." He nuzzled her close to his face, still grinning. "Gi-hi-hi, ya did good shorty." Levy was about to protest to being called shrimp and short, however Gajeel leaned over and kissed her sweaty forehead, instantly pacifying her. "So what we gonna call the little tykes?"

"Gajeel! You can't call them that." Levy pouted at him before rolling her eyes. "Well, I think Gale should be one of them. I quite like it." She started, frowning slightly before looking at me. "What do you think Fae?"

"I like it too, though I've always thought it to be more a boy's name than a girl." I offered softly, walking around the bed to the sit down on Levy's other side as Lily played peekaboo with the kids, though of course they still had their eyes closed but he was enjoying himself so no one said anything.

"I agree. That settles it then, your name is Gale!" Levy smiled, lifting up her son a little higher with a beam.

"Hey! What if I don't like it?" Gajeel protested and Levy blinked up at him.

"Don't you?" He paused for a moment, looking between his son and Levy before giving a smirk.

"Nah, I like it. Anything's fine by me, just so long as it's something short and not too difficult to pronounce like some of those other names you came up with." He said and Levy giggled slightly, leaning against him as they held their twins together. We all deliberated a while before finally we settled on something very simple but sweet for the girl. Grace. Her name was Grace.

Levy was exhausted and soon went to sleep and Gajeel instantly begged me not to leave, not knowing what he was supposed to do so I laughingly helped him settle the children back in their blankets, wrapping them up comfortably then held Grace again whilst Gajeel had a turn with Gale. Lily popped up to his full size, wanting to hold one of the twins so I gave Grace to him, quietly instructing them both on how they should handle babies, giving them the basic rundown of how to pick them up, put them down, how to hold them, how to comfort them and everything else I could think of whilst Levy rested.

Everyone else in the guild came visiting the next day, overjoyed and excited to learn that Levy and Gajeel had twins, though numerous jokes were said about how cute they were and it was either they'd got all their genes from Levy or Gajeel wasn't really the father. Some faces were punched at the last remark but I quickly broke it up, threatening to have people thrown off a cliff if they dared start fighting around two little babies. The fighting quickly stopped.

I helped Levy and Gajeel for the first week or so as they were nervous to do it on their own for the first few nights, however once they got the hang of it I stepped back and let them do their own thing, knowing full well that they would do a great job. I left them to rest in the morning, leaving a note on the side telling them that I'd washed up and left them a couple of meals in the cooler so that they didn't have to worry about cooking for a few days before I headed home, a little tired but still glowing with pride for my dearest friend.

When I pushed open the door, a familiar presence hit me and I stopped in the doorway. Ever since losing Solas, my senses had returned to that of a normal human being. It must have been her all along which enhanced them, however since she was now gone I was just a regular human being again, though my magic was still just as powerful as when I'd been carrying her soul inside me.

"Wondered when you'd be back." His voice made me jump, not expecting him to be hovering behind the door and I quickly stepped inside, looking to see _him_ leaning against the wall. Laxus pushed the door shut with a hand, eyes locked onto me and I blushed slightly, feeling a little nervous being alone with him.

"How on earth did you manage to get inside? That door was most certainly locked!" I scolded him, pretending to be angry but I do not think I carried it off very well as Laxus merely smirked further, approaching me with looming steps. "I…you…you shouldn't be in here, not without my permission…you can't just swan in here like you own the place…" I retreated backwards a little, biting down on my lip as my pulse began to flutter weakly as Laxus trapped me against the table, arms becoming my cage as I stared up at him with large, winsome orbs.

"Finally. I've got you all to myself. You're a hard woman to pin down, you know." His subtle voice sent shivers down my spine and I gulped, unsure of how to respond.

"W-Well…I've been busy. Gray and Juvia's wedding, Levy giving birth…there's been a lot to do." I offered weakly. How is it that I became so ridiculous and feeble whenever he was this close? I almost wished for the time before when he never even made me blink, when I hardly even noticed that he was nearby, yet at the same time I did not. How strange we humans are.

"Yeah, I get it." He agreed, face inching closer to mine. His scent was exhilarating, my nose tingling as I inhaled slowly and my eyes began to slide shut, expecting his lips to kiss mine however at the last moment, he pulled back. "Well, I'd better be going. I'll see you around." I started, blinking as Laxus winked at me and turned towards the door.

"But…you…wait, what?" Laxus only smirked, tossing me back one final look before he made a dramatic exit, closing the door firmly behind him. That jerk. "Ugh! You…you…frazzle brained dumbass!" I yelled after him before clapping my hand over my mouth in shock at myself. Why is it I seem to lose all self-control when I was around him? This was even more intense then when I used to have feelings for Loke. Was it really possible to fall in love with more than one person in a lifetime? Wait, who said anything about love?!

Panicking I quickly sought out something to occupy myself with, so I settled for my knitting. I was knitting the twins jumpers for Christmas, hopefully that will keep my mind distracted at least for a little while. It worked for a short time, however I soon found myself wondering to the strange actions of Laxus Dreyer. It made no sense to me and I was hesitant. Was this just desire or was it something more? I have no way of knowing and at the same time, I had no idea the depths of his feelings. He was not very clear when it came to showing emotion. Usually he hid behind a mask.

With a groan I set my knitting aside and pressed a hand to my face. "I thought I was finished with all this emotional confusion. Why are men so cruel and unfair?"

Why indeed.


	48. Chapter 48

"HEY EVERYBODY, GUESS WHAT?!" Natsu suddenly bellowed as he kicked open the doors to the guildhall, letting in the wintery chill and immediately people complained however Natsu either ignored them or simply did not notice as he raced inside, dragging Lucy along with him as she wailed, dizzy and hardly able to stand. Poor Lucy, whatever happened? As Happy flew inside, Natsu whirled Lucy around again then trapped her against his chest, one hand rising to grab her breast and immediately her eyes widened in alarm.

"Lucy and these things belong to me now, so everyone else keep your hands off or I'll melt ya!" I wanted to smack my face, or his.

"Natsu! Stop groping Lucy in public!" I ordered as everyone else just stared, only just realising Natsu's meaning before a collective cheer and sigh of relief took over the guildhall, some people laughing as Lucy delivered a well aimed kick to Natsu's gut, sending him flying as I rushed over to steady her, eyes blinking dazedly.

"Please somebody just kill me…that was so embarrassing…" She whimpered as Levy leaped up with Grace on her hip, beaming.

"Congratulations Lu-Lu, it's about time! We were starting to worry!" She beamed as I led Lucy over to a seat where all the girls and women started to gather round, pounding her with questions about what happened and how it happened whilst Natsu basically boasted it to the entire guild. Lucy was overwhelmed and couldn't even answer one question was being fired at her and Natsu wasn't making any sense, so I picked up a plate and smashed it on his head, knocking him out for some peace and quiet before turning to Happy.

"Happy, what exactly happened?" I asked him and he sniggered behind his paws.

"Well you see, it happened like this." He began and some of the other women such as Mira, Lisanna, Wendy, Carla, Levy and Erza all listened attentively. "We went over to Lucy's place to tell her we'd picked out another quest and that she had to hurry up and get ready, however when we got there Lucy was getting out of the bath." Oh dear, this is not a good start. "Lucy got all embarrassed and tried to kick us out, but she slipped on the wet floor and the towel dropped so she ended up butt naked as she fell onto Natsu." Happy was barely able to keep it together as he was talking and laughing at the same time. "Anyway, they hit the floor, and they accidentally kissed, then Lucy got even more embarrassed and started to scream and cry."

"I did not!" Lucy protested, finally coming to her senses. "And if you guys didn't make such a bad habit of breaking into my apartment then I wouldn't have fallen over!" She was blushing deeply before continuing on with the explanation, telling us how she'd then apologised but Natsu said he was okay with it, which confused Lucy. Apparently Natsu had then very bluntly informed Lucy that they were partners and that meant that they'd always be together, however when Lucy got defensive and said that she intended to have a proper boyfriend one day, Natsu had responded by saying that no one else would be right for Lucy so the job fell to him.

To be honest, I didn't expect any different from Natsu. He had a very odd way of perceiving things, however I'd known that he's loved Lucy for a very long time, even if he was so boneheaded that he didn't even realise it himself. Turning around, I saw Natsu was back on his feet and arguing with Gajeel who had Gale tucked up in one arm.

"Well you're still too late salamander, I got my girl _and_ two kids way before you so I win!" Gajeel was arguing. Men, it's all about who's the one with the bigger horse. So to speak.

"No way, that ain't fair!" Natsu protested, arms folded before he turned his head to look at Lucy. "Oi Lucy, let's get married before this jerk. Then we'll be the winners."

"What?! You can't just ask me to marry you like that!" Lucy fumed before stopping, freezing completely in place. "Wait, did you just say let's get _married_?!" Natsu frowned at her in genuine confusion.

"Uh, duh? Didn't ya hear me?" Lucy swayed so I held out an arm to steady her before she could fall. Now there was confusion running rampant, people yelling about who was better or who was the most successful in love.

"Well obviously I win because I married my girl before you two clowns." Gray said with a proud and smug look on his face as Juvia squealed and blushed deeply, throwing her arms around his waist and snuggling against him despite his protests.

"No way, I'm the real man, I married my woman before _all_ of you!" Elfman shouted, lifting his arms up however Evergreen smacked him, quickly growing irritated with him but he still grinned all the same.

"Well actually if we're speaking of all things love and marriage, _I'm_ the real winner because I dated and married Bisca well before any of you _and_ had our beautiful little sharp shooter." Alzack mused, making Bisca laugh as Asuka giggled as everyone around the guild began to argue, Macao declaring himself the winner whilst everyone else took sides. It was soon a mess and Levy squeaked, hiding Grace against her as Gajeel fought one handed, swinging punches and grinning all the while as Gale laughed happily, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The twins had grown so much in the first few months, their eyes later opening and revealing themselves to be the same maroon as their father. All the same I waded into the fight, swinging a fist to knock aside Elfman as I plucked Gale from Gajeel's arms who didn't even bat an eyelid as his other fist joined in the fight, now free. With Gale safely tucked into my arms I stepped out of the fight zone and carried him over to Levy who sighed with relief. Honestly, men are such idiots.

"Will you brats QUIT IT?!" Master Makarov suddenly roared and everyone fell silent as he scowled. "No fighting with young children in the guild, you know the rules! Now sit down before I get real mad!" Gale cooed at the master, making him suddenly grin and he wheeled himself over to have a cuddle. It softened my heart to see the master with the twins, he was always so fond of children.

"I mean it though, I'll marry Lucy long before you marry Levy you metal headed jerk!" Natsu grinned, jumping out of the fray to pull Lucy towards him. "That way I'll have beaten you!"

"It's not a contest Natsu, you shouldn't joke about these things." Lucy said, flushing with embarrassment but Natsu just looked at her with a serious expression, making me look at him in surprise. My word, he is actually deadly serious about this. He means it, even though his proposal was offered in the most ludicrous of senses, he was not joking around.

"What do you mean? I'm being serious Lucy." He said, turning around to grip her arms, grinning a toothy grin at her. "We'll always be together. Right? That's what we've always said, which means that we'll get married eventually, so why wait? I mean, you like me, don't you?" Now Natsu stopped, eyes softening as he patiently waited for Lucy's response. She stared at him with wide eyes, unsure on how to answer before finally she sniffed, wiping a tear away from her eye.

"Of course I do you idiot, more than that. I love you!" Natsu's eyes widened as Lucy started to cry, unable to hold herself together as the guild went deathly silent. "You've always been there…you saved me in Hargeon…you brought me to Fairy Tail…because of you I've had so many adventures…I've shed blood, sweat and tears will people who became my family…you…you always encouraged me to be strong and I've always fought so hard just so I can continue to stand next to you…you're everything to me!" Lucy wailed, throwing herself against Natsu's chest and buried her face into his scarf as he stood there, hardly even blinking.

No one spoke, not even a whisper. Most were shocked at the rather passionate confession, however we all waited to see what Natsu would do. Slowly he lifted his hands, resting one on Lucy's back and the other gripped her arm, making her look up at him to see his smile. "Together forever, right?" Lucy blinked before finally smiling, wiping away her tears as she nodded her head and relaxed.

"Right!" A spontaneous applause sounded throughout the guild, making Natsu grin and Lucy blush as she hid herself into his scarf. Cana demanded more booze in celebration and of course, Erza requested a cake so Mirajane got the drink and I sorted the cake with Wendy and Carla, the three of us beaming at one another as we baked.

"Hey Laxus!" Natsu yelled out and I felt a shiver take over my spine as I heard his name being called out. "When you gonna get Fae to go out with you? You're falling behind dude!" If look could kill, Natsu would be six feet under as I glowered at him hotly, my cheeks colouring as Laxus looked over to Natsu before smirking cockily.

"When I feel like it." He answered and I almost dropped the cake as I brought it out, staring as people either laughed it off or started to whisper in avid conversation, looking between us suspiciously. I felt like hiding away in shame, however I shuffled forwards and put the cake on the counter, forcing myself to smile as if I hadn't heard a word of what was going on.

"Cake! The cake's ready!"

"Cake!" Erza gasped and immediately demanded three slices all to herself. Wendy happily served out slices, however Natsu was still pestering Laxus.

"Come no Laxus, it's totally obvious that you like her! Happy says he even saw you leaving her place the other day, aren't you two ever gonna just come out and tell everybody?" He continued, all the more oblivious to the deadly daggers I was shooting at him whilst everyone started to step back away from me.

"I'll get her in my own time, I'm in no rush." Laxus waved him off with a bored tone, leaning back in his chair. Oh no, I am _not_ taking that kind of tone and I most certainly do not approve of them talking about me like I'm not even here! Taking a pitcher of whatever it was that just so happened to be next to me, I breezed over to the both of them, snatching another on my way and all at once, flung the liquid contents over them both. "What the-?!" Laxus jerked as water poured down over him however Natsu had smartly dodged out of the way, cackling with laughter as he quickly jumped out of reach as I glared sharply at them both.

"Don't you dare talk about me like I am invisible, I'm right here!" I rounded on Laxus particularly, placing both hands on my hips as I seethed in anger. "If you have something to say to me, say so to my face!" Laxus scraped back his chair, slowly standing and I was painfully reminded at how much taller he was than me. He turned around, water dripping down his face and smoothing over his muscles and I had to fight to retain my stern expression as he leaned over me, easily towering over me.

"Fine then, we'll do it your way." He answered. Mirajane was secretly fluttering a hand at her face, overwhelmed by the amount of romantic tension and attraction in the guild as everyone else settled to watch the next big face off of the day. Why hadn't I just kept my mouth shut? "I like you. Be my woman." My heart stopped. I think my vision even blurred slightly however I quickly regained control, forcing myself to be reasonable.

"What kind of confession was that? It was pitifully poor, you should be ashamed of yourself!" I reprimanded harshly, not giving up my ground as I scowled darkly up at him. "And who's to say that I even like you in return? Quite honestly I think you are a mean brute and the most despicable-!" My words were cut off as Laxus suddenly grabbed my waist and hauled me up to meet his mouth, my feet completely leaving the ground as I stared in shock, watching his face as he kissed me rather passionately but quickly, his other hand coming a little more slowly to help hold me against him.

A deep wave of desire hit me as his kissed me and an even deeper feeling settled thick against my soul, seemingly calling out to him but I turned it aside, not believing this to be possible. He'll get bored of me, this is just something fleeting, he couldn't possibly love me, could he?

Yet, as he kissed me, I could feel the answers pouring through my mind even as I tried to reason against them. All sense flew out the window as I gradually relaxed against him even though I could feel the entire guild staring at us in shock. I think Erza even dropped her cake. My eyes fluttered closed but all too soon Laxus pulled back and the gaping silence that surrounded us instantly came to our attention and at the same time, we both blushed slightly and glanced away from one another.

Eventually Wakaba wolf whistled and I shot him a look before I hurriedly pushed myself back from Laxus, putting a large distance between us as I made an angry face and wiped my mouth. "That was extremely rude, I thought you were raised better than this!" I shot at him, narrowing my eyes and glaring at him as he frowned slightly in confusion. "I'll never be your woman!" I declared and there was a collective gasp from the guild. I paused a moment, basking in the satisfaction of Laxus's horrified expression before I lifted my hand and pointed at him, lifting my chin proudly. "But _you_ will be _my_ man. Make me fall for you, that's an order. If you fail to deliver, then there will be consequences and serious punishment."

For a while everyone blinked in surprise but none looked more shocked than Laxus as he blinked at me, jaw dropping slightly before finally he recovered, giving me a small grin as his eyes darkened at the challenge. "I accept, this means war." He professed, shooting me a final look before he exited the guild, taking my breath away with him. Only then did it hit me what I'd done and suddenly, I had everyone looking at me.

"Stop looking at me!" I wailed, hiding my face behind my hands in embarrassment however a cheery laughter settled over everyone as Levy hurriedly grinned and hugged me, Lucy joining in too as Wendy sweetly wished me luck and Erza clapped me on the back, demanding more cake.

Everything became a blur after that, so much happened, but I tried to take it one day at a time, allowing the events to come and go as they pleased and simply elected to enjoy my life as it was and accepting whatever challenges it decided to throw at me.


	49. Chapter 49

_Ten Years Later_

The guild was exactly the same. Same smell, same people, same tables, pillars, stage, rooms, even the mugs were the same. It felt good to walk in and know everything would be exactly the way you left it. For a moment I stood there, basking in the familiarity before two smaller shapes shot past me, cheering and yelling in greeting and I chuckled.

My two girls, Elizaveta and Vasilisa Dreyer. Otherwise known as Eliza and Lisa. Both took after their father, bounding in with blonde and steely grey blue eyes, however the eldest, Eliza, was more domineering and liked to pick fights with the other kids whilst Lisa was happiest playing with the other girls around their age. Being six and four respectively, there were plenty of other children around their ages to play with.

Laxus touched a hand to my back and I looked at him with a smile before stepping inside, shifting my son a little higher up my hip so that he was more comfortable. Pasha was only a few months old but he already took after me most of all. He was raven haired and his eyes were turning from blue to amber, a very beautiful appearance and Reedus loved to paint him all the time because of his prettiness. He was sucking on his thumb, happily nestled against me as I walked inside with Laxus who went to greet his grandfather, though I happily called him papa and it made him cry almost every time I did so.

"Eliza! Lisa! Don't pull on Grace's hair like that!" I scolded my two girls as they demanded attention from their favourite cousin. Grace assured me that it was okay and she turned to play with them, chasing them around the guildhall and soon all the other kids joined in. In the past ten years, so many of the next generation had been born that I'd soon lost count. Let me see…

Elfman and Evergreen have two, a boy and a girl. It was rather amusing as their son, Emmett, loved all things beautiful and was rather fashionable like his mother, however his sister Evelyn was obsessed with all things martial arts and already copied her father despite only being seven. Her light ash brown hair was cut short just the way she liked it as she chased after Grace and the other kids, grinning from ear to ear.

"Come here, I'll make a real woman out of you!" Needless to say, it drove Evergreen insane and she constantly blamed Elfman for it, but he was proud of his kids and he did his best to relate to Emmet, however he was already at the sullen teenager stage despite only being nine and was rather fixated on appearance, constantly fixing his typical Strauss white hair even though it was perfect. They were a happy family though, they loved one another deeply and their aunties spoiled them something rotten.

Who else…ah yes. The Fullbuster kids. Now it always made me chuckle to see Gray and Juvia interacting together. Even after all this time Juvia was no less besotted with Gray and sometimes had even become jealous of her own children when they stole his attention away, but their love was as strong as it had ever been. They had three children together already and I suspect another on the way. The eldest was their son, Silver, named after Gray's father. He already displayed an apt for both water _and_ ice magic, though he was not yet able to manipulate either. His temperament was very much like his father's, always eager to battle the other boys until one of the adults broke it off. Of course, the men only encouraged them and it drove us women mad as we were trying to teach our children that fighting in the guild was not allowed, however with the example they set, it's no wonder that they behave like monkeys all day.

Silver was the eldest, next was Juvia and Gray's first daughter, Mika. She looked almost exactly like Juvia and was very shy, very rarely coming out of her hiding place behind either her mother or her father, however eventually she would be persuaded to play with the others, though usually it took some encouragement. Her younger sister was still a young baby, only a few months older than Pasha, however she was very loud and often demanded attention though always settled whenever Gray held her, which made Juvia very jealous like I mentioned before, but a soft word from Gray or a quick kiss always had her blushing and enamoured with him again. They had thought about naming her after his former master, Ur, as well as _her_ daughter Ultear, however in the end they'd decided against it.

Gray didn't want to take that away from Lyon, saying that it was as much his right should he ever have a little girl, so they named her Rain instead, as when the two had first met, it had been raining. Mirajane often professed at how adorable the two of them can be together and I heartily agreed. As I walked over to the table where Levy and Lucy sat with some of their children, I had to stop as someone ran into my legs, almost going sprawling on the floor but I quickly steadied them with a hand, smiling down.

"Careful Atalanta." I warned the five year old girl with an affectionate smile as I smoothed back her bright scarlet hair and tucked it behind her ear. "Make sure you're careful when running around, we don't want anyone to get hurt."

"I won't!" She promised me before dashing off again with laughter, holding her wooden sword high as she chased after Levy's twins, pretending they were dragons and she was going to slay them. Erza's daughter was very fierce, often bossing the other children around and sometimes even the adults. Numerous times I'd almost choked on my food when she'd yelled at either Cana for drinking, Macao and Wakaba for smoking, or even Droy for eating too much. She was a force to be reckoned with, however whenever her mother or father looked her way, she was as sweet and innocent as strawberry cake.

I remember Erza's wedding and the cake she had ordered. No less than _twenty five_ tiers of strawberry and cream. It had been a challenge but when Erza saw it, she practically fainted but then proceeded to start eating it before the ceremony had even begun, so when she'd walked up the aisle with frosting on her face, her groom had laughed and lovingly brushed it away.

And to keep you from suspense, of course Erza married Jellal. In fact, her wedding was the grandest of all and she spent an entire year planning it, wanting absolutely everything to be perfect. It didn't last just one day, either, the wedding took an entire week as she took her vows in every possible way, from traditional to ancient rituals, she incorporated absolutely everything she wanted into that special moment. Jellal was ever so patient and made no complaint at all, I think he was simply glad he could finally be with the woman he'd loved since childhood. In fact, I am fairly certain that it was Erza who proposed to Jellal. It would be in Erza's true fashion, after all.

"Ah! Where's my favourite grandson? Come to Grandpa Makarov!" Master beamed and I turned, smiling to him as Pasha awoke slightly, hearing his grandpa's voice and gurgled, searching for him.

"He's a little agitated today, I think his stomach his hurting him again." I said as I passed Pasha over to Makarov who settled him neatly on his lap as he sat in his wheelchair quiet contentedly. Laxus, however, did not look amused as he too sat down.

"Gramps, I'm you're _only_ grandson. Pasha is my kid, that makes him your great-grandson." Laxus reasoned however Makarov just waved him off.

"Bah, you're old and not cute anymore. Besides, great grandpa makes me sound even older and I can't have that." He reasoned and I chuckled at his logic just as my girls tackled my legs with hugs.

"Mama! Pick us up!" Eliza requested, sparks jumping off her as her hair started to become static.

"Up! Up!" Lisa agreed so with a smile I stooped down and lifted them into my arms, kissing them both at the neck so that they giggled and squirmed in my grasp as Laxus reached out and pulled me onto his lap, holding all three of us in his protective embrace.

"When can we learn proper magic papa? I want to learn now!" Eliza demanded impatiently but I chided her softly, telling her to be a little quieter around the baby. "Sorry, but I really want to learn magic and join the guild properly so I can get my guild mark then I can start going on quests all by myself!" Laxus chuckled richly at her enthusiasm as Lisa happily entertained herself by crawling over my shoulder and pulling at her father's cheeks to make funny faces, making her squeal with laughter.

"Elizaveta Dreyer, even if you do learn proper magic, there is no chance that you will be going on quests alone until you are much older!" I warned her before exhaling, smiling and kissing her disappointed face to brighten her spirits. "But since you are almost seven, perhaps I can teach you a _few_ tricks, just for the time being." Instantly she beamed, happy with the deal and jumped off my lap to continue playing with the others.

I watched them all play, a nostalgic smile settling upon my face as I watched Gajeel encouraged Gale to fight harder but Levy quickly kicked him to keep him quiet as she bounced their youngest girl on her knee. Charlotte was coming up to four and she was very similar in face to Levy as well as having her eyes, however she had her father's black shaggy mane which Levy struggled to keep looking neat, so she elected to simply tie it back from her face with a headband just like hers. Charlotte was sleeping at the moment, however the moment she wakes up it'll be like all of hell broke loose and she'd be running rampant until she crashes again from pure exhaustion.

Gajeel was proud of his kids, both his girls taking after him however Gale was more intellectual, preferring to read books like his mother and he could already speak nine languages fluently. He was a kind, sweet and compassionate boy and as his god-mother, I always felt a proud glow whenever I looked at the twins. They loved coming around to my house to stay whenever Gajeel and Levy had to work for the council as I told them the stories that Levy and Gajeel would never tell because it usually ended up in embarrassment for them. The twins especially loved the one where Levy and I had gone out on a quest and she'd got herself captured by a group of tribes' people of the eastern territory who'd tied her up upside down and hung her over a cooking pot until I'd rescued her.

Levy laughed with Lucy who was rocking her new-born baby in her arms, gently patting the infant's back as the pale pink hair stuck up at odd angles. Definitely one that took after Natsu and they had named him Igneel in honour of Natsu's adopted father. Lucy had given birth to two girls only in recent years as she'd put off having a family until she felt properly settled. She didn't want to have a family when she was still eager to go out adventuring on quests and also she could not settle down until she had found Aquarius's Gate Key. It took a very long time but after relentless searching, I had helped Lucy find the key's location at the bottom of the ocean some hundred miles out towards the west. We'd had to battle sea monsters, solve numerous puzzles and survive at highly pressurised depths, but with a team specifically put together for the task, we managed to retrieve the key and Lucy renewed her contract with her oldest friends. I still remember the reunion to this day, it had brought tears to my eyes to see Lucy so overjoyed to have Aquarius back.

Natsu had wanted children a long time before Lucy agreed, however he was patient and waited until she was ready. First was Luna, a beautiful girl with blonde hair and doe brown eyes like her mother, the spitting image. Miss Anna had been there for the birth and Lucy, in her delirium from the pain and medication, had called her mother over and over again so Miss Anna had held her hand and encouraged her with a mother's love, standing in for Layla as a means to comfort Lucy.

They'd married shortly after the rather intense confrontation in the guild not that long ago, though Lucy had tried to make Natsu slow down and take things steady, he'd been ploughing on ahead and attempted to arrange everything himself, however when his plans fell apart he came to me asking for help, so I enlisted Levy and Juvia to help me arrange the venue, the catering, the evening celebration and took Lucy wedding dress shopping. She'd been angry with Natsu for going ahead without her consent, but there was no real hesitation, she simply liked to get her point across, giving him a kick or two then married him anyway.

Anyway, after Luna there shortly came Layla, a little cherub of a girl with her father's hair and her mother's eyes identical to her sister's, though hers were a little lighter. She always wore her bright pink hair in pigtails and liked to wear dresses with bows and ribbons. A proper little lady and she acted like one too, though she was never rude or snooty. She was a very polite and sophisticated little girl, though Lucy told me it was because she liked to copy me for some reason. Sometimes Layla would follow me around and try to walk gracefully but would often end up tripping over something but she'd bounce right back up onto her feet, beaming. She was a sweet little thing and I adored her like I adored all the children.

"Hey everyone, we're back!" Asuka called, waving and instantly all the children rushed to her, calling her big sister and beaming as Romeo entered the guild again also.

"Hey guys, it's great to see you again. Have you grown?" Asuka was coming up for sixteen now more or less and Romeo was already in his twenties. The two of them made an excellent team and they often went out travelling for quests, however they were always greeted by all the children the moment they got home.

"Big sis! Big bro!" They chanted and I hummed in thought. It's been a long time since anyone has called me big sister or anything like that, though Romeo does from time to time, still looking up to me as the sister he never had. We've always remained close and a few years ago, he admitted that when he was much younger he'd always see me as a steady mother figure and he had greatly appreciated it more than words could express. I'd responded that I was too young to have a son his age and that he'd have to settle for big sister, but I was touched nonetheless.

Pasha gave a slight wail but Grandpa Makarov easily calmed him down, lifting him up and down in the air as I remained curled up on Laxus's lap. "What are you thinking about?" He asked, whispering quietly into my ear and I hummed softly back at him, looking around to turn my smile on him.

"Just reflecting. Ten years have gone by so quickly and everything has changed quite a bit. I was simply musing at how I was happy the guild itself hasn't altered even a little." Laxus glanced around and blinked, eyes looking as if he were seeing the guild for the very first time.

"You're right. Even those curtains haven't been changed." I grinned slightly, letting Lisa go as she wriggled to get down as I leaned closer and kissed Laxus softly, heart swelling with contentment and peaceful happiness as I embraced the man I loved. It was so strange and also so sudden with how it happened. One moment he was there and the next it was like I could not live without him. True to his word, Laxus and fought tooth and nail to make me fall for him, however I had played hard to get for several years before my feelings were finally recognised by my own stubborn heart. When I finally told Laxus that I loved him, he'd been too shocked to answer until I'd dropped a bucket of cold water on his head, which then led to him having to change and then…well, I assume you get the picture.

I did not become Faerie Dreyer until only recently. In fact, we had only married last year. Laxus wasn't too keen on the idea of marriage and I was not too fussed over it either, however last year he had suddenly decided that he wanted to enter that promise of eternity together with me and after some persuasion, I had agreed that it was time. Nothing really changed, per say, except I was officially Mrs Dreyer and we had a piece of paper to prove it, however my wedding had been nothing short of phenomenal.

Everyone had insisted that they arrange the whole thing for us and Erza took charge of the cake along with Wendy. When I turned up for my own wedding, I had been amazed at how beautiful everything looked and my dress had been perfect, however the cake…well. Let us just say that baking is not Erza's strong point. It was about ten layers however the sponges were lopsided, the frosting had melted, the decorations were a little unorganised and rather mix and match and Erza had rather proudly placed the figures of Laxus and I at the top, though Laxus had sunk through the sponge and I'd ended up taller than him.

Erza had been proud of herself, Laxus was astounded and everyone else thought I would be upset. I, however, thought it was the best cake in the world and had laughed until I'd cried, embracing Erza tightly and thanking her for such a wonderful cake. I had loved it, it made me laugh and strangely, it representing everything the guild was as although it had been misshapen and rather eccentric, when you tasted the sponge itself it was delicious and had all the goodness of thoughtfulness and well-meaning.

The wedding and celebrations had been almost on par with Erza's, but not quite. Invitations were sent out to all our friends in neighbouring guild and I'd been shocked when Sting had cried at the ceremony, unable to hold it together as I'd said my vows and afterwards, he'd hugged me to the point where I could not breathe and Rogue had to rescue me. All the same, I was touched that so many had come to offer their congratulations, though with so much alcohol and so many rivalries, it was a tough job keeping the city in one piece. I'd had to send out so many letters of apology to different people and fixed up numerous broken buildings the next morning. Happy memories.

As Romeo and Asuka came in, Wendy also entered through the main doors with Carla, Happy and a flock of exceeds which instantly brought another bought of excitement and hyperactivity. "Hello everyone, we're home!"

"Welcome home Wendy!" I instantly waved and she beamed at me, waving back as she walked further into the guild. She had grown much taller in ten years, now also in her twenties. She was thin and lithe, though she had used to be upset by her lack of a bust, she was now comfortable with the shape of her body, no longer worried over such things.

"Yay! Paula, Finn and Tiny are back!" Layla and the others cheered as the much smaller and younger exceeds flew around, mewling happily, barely able to talk as they joined in with the children and played with them. I never thought Carla and Happy would get together, however it seems that Happy's charms eventually won her over, though it took him ten years of constant devotion. I was happy for them. I was happy for everyone.

Suddenly I heard snoring next to me and I squeaked, quickly grabbing Pasha from the master who had fallen asleep in his chair and almost dropped the baby, however Pasha didn't even wake up, happily sleeping away with a thumb in his mouth. "He's so cute Fae, may I hold him please?" Wendy asked in a soft whisper as she approached and I nodded my head, smiling.

"Of course, he's your god-son after all." I pointed out and she beamed at me, carefully taking Pasha into her arms and sat down with him for a cuddle. Laxus exhaled softly and curled his arms a little tighter around me, shifting me closer. He very rarely showed affection like this whilst in public, so I readily accepted it. He must be in a very good mood this morning, perhaps fatherhood had made him go a little soft.

As I watched my children and the children of my friends, I couldn't help but wonder. What adventures lay in store for them? What kind of places will they go to see in their travels? Will they fight against dangers like we have in the past? I always wonder, but I do not let it worry me. The next generation will carry on the legacy of Fairy Tail with pride. Already I could see some different magical attributes shining through them. Some were inherited from their parents and some were completely new.

I couldn't wait to see which of my children would inherit my own magic, or if any of them would at all. They loved it when I took them flying, however I so want them to learn the feeling of flying with your own wings. All the same, I love them how they are and I would not change them for the world. Smiling contentedly, I leaned back against Laxus and closed my eyes.

Surprisingly, I found myself thinking of my mother. She would have loved my children so dearly and they would have loved her like no other. She'd sing them lullabies and bake them cookies every time we went to visit her in her cottage by the ocean with roses growing up the walls. I could just picture it, however I knew that they would never know her except through the stories I told.

By thinking of my mother, I then thought of my brothers. They remained locked away incarcerated with a triple life sentence without chance of parole, however after a few years I had started to visit them. Yasha opened up to me and later so did Kuro, however Kage had remained spiteful and full of hatred, bitter against me but that did not stop me from going to see them all, telling them about their nieces and nephew.

I could not help but feel sorry for them, so I had enlisted Mest's help to set them free. I'd petitioned the Magic Council and persuaded them to allow my brothers on a cautioned release, however all memories of their past were erased except those that were important to them. When they awoke, they had no memory of father or the guild that had been disbanded after the battle against Lucifer. They remembered very little except that I was their sister and Mest replaced some of their memories. I felt cruel doing it to them, but at least this way they could live a life of freedom.

They worked for the council now and sometimes they'd come to see me and the children, though very rarely. I think in their hearts they knew that there was some distance between us as siblings and no matter what, that rift would never heal. I will love them forever as my brothers, as I have forgiven them for all our pasts as I had no right to hold things against them that I myself was forced to do, but I do not think that they will ever be as close to me as my family at the guild are.

"You're tense." Laxus whispered to me so I shifted a little closer, lifting my hand so that it rested over his heart and I felt the steady rhythm against my fingertips, powerful, strong and sure.

"I'm alright." I assured him softly, not even lifting my head from his shoulder as I was too comfortable to move. "I'm happy." Slowly I opened my eyes and looked down at the hand which rested over his heart, turning it slightly so that I could gaze at my guild mark with a warmth that I treasured deeply in my heart. "I'm happier than I have ever been."

* * *

 **Squeal! I can't believe it's all finished...wow! Thank you so much everyone for being there from the very beginning, I really loved developing Fae's character! She went from being a little crybaby to one of the most badass wizards of Fairy Tail XD**

 **Hopefully I'll see you all for another Fairy Tail fiction, because I fully intend to do more! Thank you again so much, all my love!**

 **Silver**

 **X**


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